Demons Burden
by AdamGunther
Summary: The light behind the mask flickered like embers. 'Do you enjoy this' 'No.' 'Well that is too bad.' 'I am waiting for death.' 'Then you, my friend, will be waiting a very, very long time.' 'I am not your friend.' 'I am not your friend? I am sorry to say but it is going to be rather difficult to get rid of me.' 'Then I will carry you with me.' 'Good luck then, we will need it.'
1. Chapter 1

**Hi, thanks for stumbling upon my story, this is my second attempt at writing a fanfiction and I hope you enjoy. I have been doing some updates on other chapters after seeing how cringe they were. I do not own any of the characters within this story besides my own, all rights belong to Riot Games (it is their characters). Well then, let the show begin.**

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The rain drenched the dense forest, no bird would leave its nest or creature its den. As each drop reached the floor the soft noise would accumulate into a dull roar. The squish of the mud covered boots moved between trees and the cloaked figure pushed aside shrubbery to continue forwards.

The scabbard along his back swayed left and right, he gave it another tug to make sure it wouldn't go anywhere. He pushed back some of the thick brush with his calloused hands, taking a few more steps.

As he stepped towards the clearing, he hoped that what he found was no worse than a little cold and rain.

He peered past the edge of his hood, the young Ionian warrior looked at the falling sky and the swaying of the trees.

Carefully he traded to the middle of the clearing, lifting the sword off of his back and laying it on the ground in front of him. The man took a deep breath and bowed his head. There was an aura of fear coming from him, as he bent downwards his hands were already on the ground, his head came to rest a few inches from the ground and he shut his eyes tightly. He looked as if he was praying.

"Great spirit please, my village does not welcome your presence, and we seek only peace." There was a pause, the warrior still had his head resting on the ground. "I was sent as a warning, please leave here, or they will not hesitate to send more."

There was no response, rain continued falling from the sky. After a moment the warrior carefully raised his head.

In front of him on a small rock ledge was another figure. It was a humanoid, wearing deep red loose clothing. Although in the pouring rain, the red cloth still flowed like a flag on a castle battlements, it didn't look wet at all. It was crouched down on the smooth rock ledge, elbows resting on its knees and hands loose in front of it. The figure was not moving at all, staring blankly at the kneeling warrior in front of it.

The warrior met its eyes but saw nothing but black pools beneath a mask. It was a simple mask, made of wood, oval-shaped to cover the face and two single holes where the eyes would be. There was another hole near the mouth, slightly off center. The mask had been may with a dull grey wood as if it was to represent a skull.

The figure moved, tilting its head 90 degrees to the right without a sound. There was a soft humming in the air and the warrior froze, keeping eye contact. He had been sent with a single mission, to try and force the spirit to leave. The elders had called this thing a great evil, claiming that they could feel all the lives it had taken. Somehow the elders had known this thing was here without even seeing it, the soldier tried not to shiver in the cold.

The sound of rain hitting the ground stopped, an eerie silence reverberated through the forest. The warrior looked around, water droplets were hanging in the air, halfway down the rough bark of trees. The thin lines of water that had been cascading in between the bark and wetting the ground frozen in the air. He focused on a single drop in front of his face, the small reflection of his passive face looking back at him. Time felt like it had stopped, freezing him in that moment.

He took in his surrounding before turning his attention back to the thing in front of him. His jaw tightened as he again looked into its eyes. Now instead of the deep inkwell pools, there was a soft red light, glowing beneath the mask. The first real sign that it was not just some statue.

A voice started mumbling in the air, coming from all around the warrior. He wanted to move closer to the sword in front of him but held his ground.

The whispers seemed to wrap around him as if the forest was talking to him, "Do you believe in fate?" The voice was not menacing but soothing, very quiet but coming from every direction except for the figure on the ledge. The trees were speaking to him, speaking for the thing in front of him. The voice had an echo to it, the question was still hanging in the air. Neither moved, the warrior still afraid to answer.

Eventually, the man spoke, he had fear in his heart but he was able to make sure it did not reach his voice when he replied.

"Yes." He answered steadily. The silence that had come with the stopping of the rain was almost louder than the rain itself.

"Why do you wish me to leave?" The voices came back, this time they were not as soft. As the man clenched his teeth he could feel it, death, he was looking at death. He peeled his eyes away from the figure in front of him and glanced at his still surroundings.

"The elders of my village say you are an evil spirit, that you bring suffering, and are not supposed to be here." He words tumbled over one another, he spoke much faster this time, worried that the p spirit would be angered by his response. The red behind the mask flared before dimming back to its charcoal glow.

"Do you fear death?" The figure on the ledge tilted its head back upright, the question created a lump in the warrior's throat. Both watched each other and neither moved. Without the dull roar, the warrior could hear his heart beating faster.

"No, I do not fear death, but only that mine would mean nothing." He replied in an earnest tone. The figure on the ledge didn't move. There was another pause, stretched by the encasing silence.

"Strange, most run." The voices had quieted, even more, making them barely audible. The warrior bowed his head once again, shutting his eyes.

"Will you leave?" The man asked hesitantly, cautious to not threaten the strange figure before him. There was a long silence. The warrior looked up from the ground to where the figure was. In front of him, was only the ledge, empty.

"Yes." The voice came from behind him, he spun around but saw nothing. Only the trees were there, standing tall and still. All at once the rain started crashing down again, dampening the earth and stopping the silence that had consumed the clearing.

He looked around, the figure had not left a trace. The man was left kneeling in the damp grass and he breathed out a long sigh. He reached for his sword, strapping it to his back before viewing the clearing one last time. Then he left, heading back the way he came. The feeling of eyes watching his steps haunted the back of his mind but he dared not turn around. It would be another long walk home.

High in the branches of a nearby tree, two glowing red eyes followed him as he left. A sly grin formed behind the mask. Now it would not stay, because it had promised not too.

The wind whistled, a branch shook in the breeze, reverting back to its position without the weight settled on it.

Soon the figure was in a different part of the forest now, this time closer to civilization.

"We wait till night to hunt." This time the clear deep voice of a man came directly from the mask. The voices started to mumble around it, whispering and sliding through the air.

"Why." Said the trees.

"Because we made a promise." The mumbling stopped for a moment.

"Why the night?" The voices asked. The figure tilted his head back towards the sky, rain streamed down the sides of the mask like tears. It stretched its arms upwards, reaching for the stars behind the cover of the clouds.

"Because I look for the wicked, and the wicked do not rest."

The wind whistled, the figure was gone.

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 **Soooooooo, I hope you liked it, it was fun to write (and edit). This is the start of much more to come so stay tuned :3. I usually keep the chapters short just because I normally update this story once every two weeks and I do have life to attend to.**

 **Also, you might not have noticed but I did re-edit this chapter.**

 **Thanks for reading!**


	2. Chapter 2

The picture in front of him was surreal, painted with wisps of light created by smoke, a dream.

No, not a dream but a memory, and not one he was too fond of.

"You know we need the money." Two boys, maybe in their late teens, were standing at a rickety table. The rest of the dream was dark, surroundings fading into black. The only object visible was the table and the two boys leaning over it. One was deep in thought, hand on his chin, while the other leaned forward, shaggy unkempt hair cascading down his shoulders.

"I don't want you to get hurt." The one that was thinking looked up. "You know how dangerous the mines are, even if we can't find any other job."

"If, if we can find another job" The one leaning over the table stood up and glared. The other boy stepped back from the table, crossing his arms over his chest. "Soon we will run out of money, out of food!" It was not a fond memory because of what it brought. There used to be two of them, there used to be more than just emptiness. Although they might have been poor, although they might have had nothing, they still were there together. This memory was of a time when they had become desperate. "I will go alone, you will stay here, I can't risk you getting hurt." The older one just wanted to protect them, he removed his hand from his chin, letting it rest by his side. He had been trying to talk the other to keep looking for another alternative.

"You don't get it, I am pretty much just as old as you are. We either both go or starve to death." The younger one said.

"We need to help each other, to be there for each other like no one else was. I am not leaving your side." His voice elevated more, almost yelling. The other one slammed his palm down on the table.

"No, YOUR safety is more important, it is MY decision to do this and it is also MY decision to say that you stay here and take care of yourself." They glared at each other in a deadlock.

"Tomorrow I am leaving for the mines." The older one said quickly, turning his back.

"And I shall follow." The other said in a softer tone. The older one turned around to meet his brothers gaze, pain in his eyes.

"I don't want you too, please, if you got hurt I could not forgive myself." The younger one loosened his muscles and sighed.

"That is why I will not get hurt, and neither will you. We are on this trainwreck together for every bump and every flip, I am here… I promise."

The memory faded to black, disappearing as quickly as it had come.

"Youuu neeeeedd to huntttt." The voices rang out in his head, twisting around his neck and bouncing off the inside of his skull. He slowly nodded his head, his course had already been set. Those memories were a long, long time ago, and they best remain dead.

Back to the stormy night, back to the rain and the quiet forest. The wind whistled, the demon in the mask was gone.

The streets were dark in the slums of Noxus, every now and then a lamp would flicker. From the top of the building, the lone figure stood tall, looking towards a couple of small alleyways that crisscrossed. There was a small flapping of the red cloak in the passing breeze. It was chilly this time of the year, winter was closing out.

This certain district was ignored and unkempt compared to the rest of enormous structure. The heart of Noxus was a black one.

It was silent among the streets, everything seemed too afraid to move, even the rats dared not show their presence above the cover of their den.

The moon covered by the clouds, shadowing the corners and crevices in deep veils of black. The thin and tall alleyways seemed to reel away from the light, descending into canyons of complete darkness. The demon moved without a sound to the edge of the roof, looking upwards towards the inner walls of Noxus. It had two walls, the high outer wall of the Immortal bastion held most of its people, although it was upkept it still was not in the best of shape. The other, much larger, wall stood for the upper class, the elites.

"This city has grown since we were last here." The demon said quietly, eyes tracing the wall up until the guard towers.

"Yet what is inside has never changed, it is the same cruelty as before." The voices sang in his head. "Hmmmmm" He tilted his head to the side, following the wall sideways until it curved into the darkness. He moved his attention to the task at hand, preparing himself. His heart beat faster, he was ready.

The demon bent down and grabbed the edge of the roof, lifting his legs up, now in a precarious handstand above a three-story drop. He was looking at the roof and rotated his hands, now, below him was the steep drop where if he fell forwards and let go there would be a cold dead body left on the dirty street. He fell forwards towards the drop calmly.

As he continued down his grip on the ledge tightened and instead of falling swung himself through an open window, landing with the smallest creak on the wooden planks that made up the floor, standing up from his crouching position.

A single candle illuminated the dark musty room. There was a figure in front of the candle, his back to the demon with his shadow stretching across the ceiling. *Clink, clink, clink* The sound of coins being counted was rhythmic. The demon crept up behind the figure, raising a hand to their shoulder. The man sitting in the corner counting coins twisted.

The figure spun around, coins falling to the ground as he pulled up a knife and pointed it at the mask. The burning light under it flared dangerously. The man's knife wavered a little as he stared deep into the burning red light. What the thief saw in those pools of red was the end, the knife in his hand fell to the floor with a thud.

"Do you fear death." The voices coiled around the room, wrapping around the man's head. They were aggressive now, hungry for something. The demon stood in front of him, the voices caused the man to start shaking. The room seemed to grow even darker now, the voices poised like a snake ready to strike. He was stunned, not taking his eyes off the two red glows glimmering behind the mask. The demon did not move, waiting for an answer while looking deep through the man's eyes, almost looking for what lay behind them.

"E - everyone does." He quivered. A hand shot from the demon blindingly, gripping tightly around the man's neck and closing his windpipe. The man gagged.

"Don't" The voice came directly from under the mask this time, soft, it was different from the voices that came from the walls, almost more human. The demon's hand started to glow red against the man's neck. The man tried to scream but the grip on his throat only tightened in a burning clasp.

The light under the mask brightened even further, reaching to the corners of the room and bathing it in a crimson glow. The man gripped at the fingers at his neck but they were as hard as steel. Veins bulge and he was shaking violently now.

He was in the demon's grasp, now staring directly into the flaming eyes, he had given up flailing and instead was smiling. It was a sad smile, one filled with remorse instead of fear.

"Calm." The voices around the dying man spoke again. The demon leaned in, mask not only an inch away from the man, light fading in his eyes.

Then the man's eyes opened, not with life but completely red. The man was already dead, now only a glowing corpse. Small wisps of red moved from the man's eyes and mouth, they swirled through the air and into the Demon's mask. The red glow flickered with power, new energy. The connection between the two only lasted for a tiny moment before it was shattered. The whisps were completely gone and the red glow died down.

If one was to look up to the window from the street they would have seen the short flash of a red light, the process was done. The grip released, dropping the soulless corpse to the ground. The demon stood up.

All of a sudden he turned around, putting his hand in front of his face. There was a small *shilk* as the knife embedded itself in his hand. He lowered it, knife dripping blood. In front of him was a young man, wearing a simple black cloak, many knives running along various belts on his body and a large blade attached to his arm. There was a clear menace in his eyes. The demon simply stood there calmly, not alarmed or in pain at the knife in his hand.

Talon removed himself from the shadows of the corner. His prey had already died to this mysterious figure, he wanted retribution. As soon as his eyes met the glowing embers behind the mask he tensed, moving his hand to a second knife. Whatever this was it was not human, he had watched with keen interest until it had taken his kill. Nothing could get in his way he made sure of it.

The demon looked the boy up and down, he was young to be killing. 'Another lost soul to the slums of Noxus,' He thought glumly. The burning in the eyes died down in a saddening way. He let his hand unclasp and started to move towards the window.

"We will not take anything." The voice came from behind the mask. The demon reached one hand to the other and gripped the hilt of the knife before jerking it out, letting it clatter to the ground carelessly. "We will leave just how we came," A stream of dark blood was coming out of the damaged hand. It left a trail as he kept walking forwards towards the window.

"That was my kill," Talon said, a blade now in each hand, ready to be thrown if the figure stepped closer. He watched the red light behind the eyes flicker. He didn't trust anyone. In his world it was kill or be killed, if there was an open back it was rare not to see a knife in it.

"Take the kill, take whatever you desire, I was never here."The demon said, he positioned himself in front of the window that led into the dark night, a glimpse of the bright moon casting a ray into the city.

"Try and find yourself, it seems as though you are lost." The demon said, remorse filled his tone. He did not want to come back to find this boy under his grasp, those words were his last gift. Now that his search for the wicked was over, he could finally have some rest.

"Tell me one thing," Talon said, one arm now poised to throw it if it took a step closer to him. "What are you?" The figure stood still, looking out the window, his face one of pain, scrunched together as if holding back tears.

"Hopefully something you will never have to meet again."

The wind whistled, the demon was gone.


	3. Chapter 3

Just as the darkness settled in the wisps started to form again. Bits of color made of light, flowing and weaving together to create the screen of consciousness.

As the colors finally came to an image the memory took shape, a memory of earth and stone. Now, both the boys were working in the mines deep under the Ironspike mountains. Every day, hour after hour, bringing down the pick onto another bit of stone to try and find anything more than just coal. The income was low but they were able to slowly save up, buying very little food and a tiny shelter with cots.

They had been mining mineral deep within a black mountain. Maybe one day their lives would be saved and they would find a gem they could give to the mining co for a better contract or even a rune. They worked for Derrend mining Co. a company that mined rare ores and minerals to sell to weapon makers. Although only one in a thousand workers would find a useful mineral, it was still more than enough for the giant conglomerate to make a steady profit. Ores were filtered out and sent up to the refineries if you were lucky enough to find anything the pay would increase almost tenfold. It kept the workers mining hard, and if you could smuggle the ore past the guards it sold for a very generous amount on the market.

"How stable is it up ahead." the older brother asked. They both had short hair now and were almost identical in height. They had taken a ship to the mainland and left their birth home in Ionia behind. This was their lives now.

"Stable enough, yesterday we used a single stick, but it didn't cave." The younger one replied, taking off his helmet to wipe his brow before moving to a machine they had propped against the mineshaft. Courtesy of working under Derrend, tools were easy to get, as long as you didn't break it and gave it back in the same shape, they paid for the expenses. The younger one pulled it up and placed it facing the end of the tunnel they had been digging for quite some time. They had finally hit a solid surface that their simple pickaxes could not get through. It was a hard mineral, maybe obsidian, maybe something else, but the harder the better, the more likely they were to find a vein of much rarer material.

A grinding started to reverberate around the deep cavern and the loud sound of machinery echoed in the darkness. They both leaned against the side of the cavern, checking the ground for debris or their if their tools had been damaged at all.

Once the machine stopped buzzing the younger one removed it and started carrying it back down the mine shaft. The older one stood here the machine was, reaching into a pouch at his side and removing a large stick of infused dynamite, they usually didn't use more than one a day, these things were expensive and one of the few materials that they bought themselves, it was worth it though for the amount they were able to blow through. The dynamite was painted a neon orange and had a large symbol etched on its side indicating danger and fire hazard. He started to unravel the detonation cord and set it by his feet.

Carefully he positioned the dynamite in the cylindrical hole the machine had made, making sure that everything was set he started running to opposite direction, letting the unravel as he went. His headlamp illuminating the trail ahead of him. After about a minute of clambering through the dark tunnel, he came to a bend and turned to find his younger brother crouched and waiting for him. They had made this their daily resting spot for the past week, it was curved so that anything that came down the tunnel would continue upwards instead of flying inside of it. The older brother took the lighter out of his pocket and brought it to the end of the chord. He brought his hands over his ears. clamping them so the sound wouldn't make him go deaf. Both huddled in the corner as fire snaked down the tunnel, hissing and spitting sparks as it descended.

A giant explosion rocketed down the tunnel, spitting fire almost all the way up to the bend where they were hiding. The shock wave traveled through the walls as dust fell from the ceiling. Pieces of debris flew past. The debris was traveling so fast that they would have impaled anyone standing in their way. The rumbling lasted between five to ten seconds before it finally quieted down. They removed their hands from their heads and turned their lamp lights back on, slowly making their way back down the mineshaft.

"There was promise of some good mining this way, we might even be paid some extra if something special turns up." The younger one said.

"Let me lead." Replied the older one, the younger one glanced at him before complying, trailing behind the circle of light created by the headlamp.

They had made it to the original place where the dynamite had been set. There was a wide cavern stretching forward. They had to be cautious, it could still cave in and then they would be in deep shit. They were able to step downwards in the newly created cavern, the floor was only a couple feet below them. That stick of dynamite had been able to blow forwards quite a way.

They hopped down onto the cold jagged stone. A rumble shook the ground and they steadied themselves, gripping onto protruding rocks. The rumble stopped and they hesitantly continued forward, careful where they were stepping. The older one squinted, "I see something ahead." The younger one looked over his shoulder but the light did not shine far. "I think it's glowing turn your lamp off." They both reached up and flicked the switch on the side of their helmets.

They both blinked rapidly, adjusting their eyes to the darkness. A steady red glow was emanating from the end of the tunnel. It grew as they got closer and eventually they were able to spot the source. There was a neat round hole in the floor about five feet across, the tunnel that led downwards, the red glow coming from it.

"Give me a sec, and be careful it might not be stable where the hole is." The younger one rested a hand on the older one's shoulder. He reached around to his satchel and pulled out a cord of rope, it was frayed in a couple of places but better than nothing. He tied it to a section of rock that was protruding from the ground. The older brother took off his gloves and reached for the end of the rope. He wound it tightly around his waist before hooking through the ring of metal on his waist. Tugged the rope a few times before continuing.

"Okay stay back, the less weight the better." The older on said before shuffling towards the opening, testing the ground with his feet. He moved closer to the hole and leaned forward, trying to look further down into the abyss. Another step, a little more forward. Now he was directly above the round hole, feet almost hanging off the edge.

He peered downwards, the large pit went down as far as he could see, and at the very bottom was a tiny glowing red dot.

"I think it's just a magma pit." The older one said. "Nothing to see down there."

"But the glow isn't growing or fading, and magma I don't think would be this bright if it was really that far down." The younger one said. The ground started rumbling, another shock wave reverberated through the floor.

"There was not supposed to be another mining patrol within three miles of here." The younger one hissed. Another rumble ran through the floor this one a bit louder, both crouched low waiting to see if any damage had affected the tunnel. If someone else that they didn't know about was using dynamite to mine the tunnels, it could spell their doom.

They waited a couple of seconds, the shaking had stopped, they stood on bent legs, waiting for anything to happen. There was the eerie silence caused by the cavern and nothing else. "Well, everything seems fine." The older one said, before fully standing up. He looked down before his face blanched and he started moving slowly backward. A crack had formed around the edge of the hole and started quickly snaking down the tunnel. "Oh shi-" The floor under him crumbled and he started to topple backward. The younger one took a giant stride then dove forward to slide along his stomach against the rough floor.

He reached his hand out towards his falling brother, gripping onto his wrist and coming to a stop near the edge on his stomach. He panted heavily, trying to pull himself backward but sliding against the gravel on the floor. He felt for any rocks that would help him get purchase but there was none. He glanced down at his brother now also gripping onto his arm, looking down into the red abyss below. The younger brother had his teeth clenched, feet scrambling, maybe he could get a hold with his other hand, maybe there was a hold somewhere.

The older one looked into his brother's face, fear in his eyes. The rope that was holding his waist up was starting to fray even further, stretching on small threads. The weight became heavier on the younger one and he started to slide further forward. In desperation, he shuffled his feet against the floor before finding a small crevice that halted the descent.

The older one looked down again towards the light.

"Hold on I can pull us up just wait." The younger one was panicked, thinking of any way to get them out of the situation. He could only use one arm and if he moved his legs they would both be cast down into the fiery pit. He ran through all of the scenarios, panicking, there had to be a way out, there just had to be. The shaking started once again and rocks started to tumble from the ceiling and into the glowing abyss. The longer they held onto each other's hands the more desperate the younger one became, he wouldn't be able to hold much longer.

When the older brother looked up after a solid minute a calm demeanor had taken over his face, he was smiling a sad smile. "No no no no, we are going to get out of here." The younger one said. "Remember we are in this together I'm not letting go."

"Sadly you don't have a choice the older one said." His grip seemed to loosen and the younger one clung tighter. Tears welled at his cheeks and turned black from the soot staining his face. "Hey, it's okay, I made it this far and you carry out the rest." The older one said with regret. "It's ok, soon I am going to pull you up, cmon." The younger one lifted and the older one gave a small tug but it only started to slide the younger one further forward so he stopped.

He ran through the situation in his head, panicking, "YOU'RE NOT GOING TO DIE" The younger one screamed in anguish, the rope was only hanging by a couple of loose strands ready to snap.

"Hey… Hey." The older one said calmingly, looking up into the eyes of the one person he had left. The echoing of the cavern seemed to be crying along with the younger one. "You still have somewhere to go, a place to live, a way to escape this hell." The older one choked out, still smiling. Tears were now running down freely from both of their cheeks.

"No, please I can't go on without you."

The younger one looked into the eyes of his brother for any sign of hope, all he saw was sadness. "Hey." The older one said.

"Y-yeah." The younger let out a sniffle.

"Live your life for the both of us." His grip loosened a little more and he started to slip through his younger brothers grasp, the rope was just about gone. "No, please"

"One more thing." They held eye contact for one long, drawn-out second.

"Remember me," they were his final words.

The older one let go, the rope snapped its final strength gone. He was smiling as he fell, falling forever into the abyss.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO" The younger one reached after him, watching his brother engulfed by the red light. He stayed there letting his arm stretch downwards before shuffling back to the mineshaft. He put his hands on his face and sobbed, letting his tears run through his fingers and plink onto the floor. "No" The cries of anguish were greeted by silence within the cavern. He started to rock back and forth "No nononono, you promised." He cried, "you promised." Nothing but his echoes replied.

'Remember me'

* * *

He fell down, down, down the light below him getting brighter as he looked up to where he had let go. he was engulfed in bright red light and it faded to white all around him. This is the part where he would see the faces of Kindred. If there was really an end of it all then maybe he would just disappear. Nothing happened as he waited in the blank canvas in front of him. The older brother was floating in white emptiness.

All of a sudden his vision flooded with red and voices started to call out, getting slowly louder and chanting. The tendrils of red wrapped around him and stabbed into his body.

"yes, yes, Yes, Yes, YES." The whispering rang out in his head and he tried to make it stop. It felt like a pike was being driven into his skull. He clutched his ears and swung his head around in circles screaming. He bent backward, writing, everything was red, nothing but pain and red. Red tendrils seemed to descend down his throat and meld with his insides, a pain he felt like never before wracked his body. He needed to escape this hell, to get out, but it was all too much. Darkness clouded the edges of his vision, he felt his consciousness disappearing. 'Help, me.' He asked the receding light but was only met by a malicious response.

"Hunt"


	4. Chapter 4

**This needs to be said: I don't own any of the characters within this story except for the one I created. All rights and other characters go to Riot Games.**

 **Reviews appreciated small or large :) enjoy.**

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The man gasped, waking up from the nightmare. sitting up in the small straw bed, sweat covered his forehead. The memory clouded his mind and he leaned over to grab a bucket of cold well water, splashing it on his face. The voice of his screaming brother still echoed out in his head, the brother he had left behind. He rubbed his eyes and pressed his hands against his cold face.

He regulated his breathing, in, out.

After a couple more seconds he stood up and lifted his arms, stretching them above his head. 'Just forget it and move on.' The man lifted a simple brown shirt onto his body and adorned a brown cloak. The mask was wrapped in the other clothing he only wore during the hunt, the garments were stored under the bed.

The sun was shining through the window of the single room cottage, it was relatively undecorated, a small box in the cover of the room for any possessions (there were none). There was a table and a single chair in the middle. The bed, or rather a bale of straw wrapped in cloth, rested in a far corner next to a bucket that was filled with well water every day.

The man stepped out the small door while ducking his head, looking up to the tops of the trees, letting his face bask in the sun. The leaves would sway back and forth and with it the wind. Compared to the weather in many other parts of the world Ionia was never too cold, or too blazing hot, even now in the winter there was rain and the occasional snow but blizzards were rare. The man took a couple of steps forward before sitting on a smooth rock on the ground. Crossing his legs and letting his hands rest in his lap. Slowly, he closed his eyes and perked his ears, listening for sounds. Every new sound he heard he would acknowledge then dim in his mind. Eventually, everything was a low hum and he rested there, in peace and quiet.

This was the same meditation as every morning. The worst memories always haunted him after the hunt.

* * *

 _After he had gone unconscious within that red abyss, time had passed. He had been encased underground with the demon for many many years. Although it wasn't until much later that he found out the scope of the time he could tell that the world was changed when he had come about._

 _A large enough mining explosion within the mountain had awoken him, but not the man, the demon within him. He didn't understand what happened in that red pit, and what had brought him back to the realm of the living. The man had woken up later that week sitting in the middle of an Ionian village. Around him, the entire village was burnt to the ground and he was surrounded by the corpses of the inhabitants of the village, or what was left of them. Children, women, all burned their images scarred into his mind, for he had killed them._

 _He ran deep into the forest, away from the unwanted death and away from himself until he had collapsed from exhaustion. From then on he decided to leave civilization behind, not for himself but rather for the good of the world. He thought, that if could run away, he would never be the one to kill another. He had always grown up poor but learned that if was to kill someone, he had done something wrong in life._

 _Day after day the voices in his head would rise and cloud his mind. This process took a couple weeks and when it did the only thing he wanted to do was hunt, to find people, to kill people. Luckily only one soul had to be taken before the voices would recede to the back of his mind once again, leaving him alone. It was his insanity, it was the thing living inside of him, this parasite._

 _Everyone reaches a point in their life where they must carry a burden, this was his. Every time the demon within the man would get hungry his feelings would get stronger, the power in his mind would grow restless. The demon did not care who was his victim, he only cared that he had one. The man decided to make his presence as discreet as possible, giving up on human interaction a long time ago._

 _Soon enough years past, decades. Everything started to blur together, his memories, his past, fragments of it just leaving his mind. The only thing that would change his day to day actions was the hunger, the seasons, and the growing city states sprouting around him. Unfortunately killing himself was not an option, every time he tried the voices would stop him in his tracks. Even when fighting he would take a fatal wound and he would embrace death, but death never came, he would wake up somewhere, covered in blood that was not his own. The demon never let him have a break, never left him alone for too long. He didn't seem to age, his hair might have grown but he did not become taller, his face did not adorn wrinkles that one would expect from a person as old as him._

 _The only reason he would hunt was because if he did not, much more than just one death would be on his hands. If he didn't satisfy the demon, the demon would satisfy itself using his body._

 _He cast himself away, letting the world forget him, the same cycle, over and over, the only one carrying the demons burden._

* * *

The man breathed, letting the cool air wash over his face. His eye twitched at the memory of his brothers face. Every death he took would awaken parts of his past best left untouched, another burden. He shook away the memory and let the world sit still around him. Balance isn't that what Ionia was all about. 'Hmm the season recently has not been that good.' his stomach growled in response to his silent comment and he grimaced. He stood up and stretched his arms once more.

Everything in the forest was hibernating or too small to even get a decent meal out of, 'man it's been,' he counted his fingers but ran out of fingers. 'Over ten years since i've been to that village' It was very rare that we would go willingly to civilization, only every now and then during an especially bad season. He would visit a small village a good twenty miles away to get food.

He did not have any power with him to travel through 'special' means, the demon's hunger had already been sated, but now he needed something to eat. He let out a sigh before he started jogging South, he didn't know his exact location, only that he was moving towards the southern coast. The chilly air made him start to pick up the pace, the recent rain made the rest of the area especially damp and cold. He sped up in a sprint, one of the benefits of being stuck in a body with a devil is he seemed to barely tire, never reaching the point of needing to stop. At this rate, it would take him to the end of the day to travel to the village. The thing about living in isolation is that you never really get the chance to talk to anyone, he had isolated himself in his own bubble of the world.

He jumped over a small brook and continued moving, hours passed and the dense forest started to become more sparse, the scenery changed slowly but it changed nonetheless. The more inland he would travel the more signs of civilization he would see. Footprints, various traps set by hunters, leaves pushed to the side. The sun was reaching the point of falling off the horizon, the first village would be there soon. He slowed to a trot and made sure to pull up his hood to conceal his face.

The sky started turning bright orange and pink, eventually fading to dark man saw a flicker ahead and moved forward, he looked around him, there were more stumps than he expected. Ionian normally respected the forest and there was not too many loggers in this area. Although over time things could have changed it was still unusual.

The growing darkness made it harder to see what was in front of him, he squinted ahead. There was still some light left and he looked down at the ground, it was black. He tried to make out any color but nothing poked out even in the little light provided by the last rays of the sun. He bent down to run his hands against the ground. The texture was much more dry than he expected, it was brittle and broke in his hands. He brought it up to his nose and sniffed.

"Ash" He whispered. He started moving faster forwards towards the light in front of him, the ground was now covered in ash, turning the landscape into a pitch black matt. When he made it to the edge of a clearing he was stunned by the scene in front of him. Over the years he had seen battles, watched people being killed, maybe get an easy hunt on a dying soldier, but even he had not seen a peaceful village like this destroyed so catastrophically.

In front of him, all that was left of the modest village was a burnt wreck. The fires had been put out a long time ago but it was still decimated. A few of the houses had people in them, they were not soldiers, they were farmers. He watched as a child lifted off a piece of wood and pull out a burnt blanket, she broke down in tears. The man frowned, almost wanting to go and comfort her, but what was he going to do? Others were looking and clearing away what was left of the houses once there.

Some men were trying to lift a large log that had been the foundation of one of the bigger complexes, maybe even a town hall. Even with the five they had, it was still a struggle to try and lift the support beam. Across the village, a figure seemed to rise from the shadows. 'Ninja,' the man thought to himself. He had seen them before but had never really interacted with them, they seemed to think he wasn't a threat. The ninja was wearing cool blue armor that covered his entire body, including his head. Along with the high-grade armor, there was a large sword scabbard strapped to his back matching his armor in style and color. The other men did not seem to be afraid of this soldier, some even greeted him. He got his hands under the log and lifted it with the other men before throwing it to the side, he was strong, very strong.

This warrior was strange, the style of the armor looked Ionian but different than any other armor the man had seen in battle. He watched quietly from the shadow of the tree, the growing darkness hiding his presence. There had been a battle here, maybe an invasion force. He glanced towards the road and saw nothing then moved his attention back to the people shuffling through the rubble.

The man in the armor was gone, an alarm went off in his head but he stayed calm. He scanned the area but the warrior was not there. He slowly stood up, feeling a presence behind them.

"What is a ninja like you doing in the wreck of a village?" The man asked slowly, not looking behind him.

"What is a strange man doing, hiding in the shadows and watching the remnants of a village." The deep and steady voice replied.

"Looking for food." He answered truthfully and raised his arms above his head, proving that he had no weapon concealed in his hands. "What happened here?" He asked, there was a scoff of disbelief behind him.

"Stop playing stupid." The man was taken aback by the warrior's words.

"I honestly have no idea what is going on." Silence hung in the air for a moment.

"Noxus invaded Ionia many weeks ago, this is what is left of majority of the villages along the coast. Noxus backed off but not before the death toll was high." The ninja said in an unwavering tone. The man nodded before turning to meet the ninja. Looking at the armor of his face, there was no visible place for his mouth or nose, only two sockets for eyes that seemed to glow an eerie yellow.

"Know where I can get something to eat?" The man asked smoothly, he had to keep his poker face straight, it would have been impossible to tell if the ninja was scowling or smiling, he doubted it was either.

"Down the road, there was a stand set up to give out water and food for the homeless, if you are truly starving go there." The ninja said, coming to the conclusion that the visitor meant no harm. The ninja had many questions, but held back on them, just stared into the visitors crimson eyes.

"Thanks." The man turned and started walking down the road without a glance back, wanting to get back to his home as soon as possible. He had no quarrel with the people here, it was best to not interact with their lives. All he needed was one good meal, besides, winter was coming to a close and he would could catch his own food soon.

He walked down the road, passing a few of the people that were passing what used to be their homes. He felt sad for them but knew that he could do nothing to help them, they would not want help from someone like him anyways.

He stopped at a small stand hastily constructed of wood, behind it two fires had pots over them filled to the brim with soup. Two women were handing out bowls of broth to people passing by. He walked up behind someone who was receiving a bowl and took his place in line. The man was handed a bowl and he looked down into it, it was warm in his hands. He lifted it to his mouth and sipped.

It tasted of ginger and potatoes, simple but he didn't need anything that tasted good. He moved to the side of the road to sit on the stump of a tree. Watching people pass and take bowls of soup. He ate slowly. He wanted to make sure the veil of night would hide him on his way back to the cottage in the woods.

As he finished the soup he stood back up, tossing the bowl in a bin next to the stand. Ionia was going to need as much material as it could to recover from war. 'Especially if every village is in similar shape this one.' He thought to himself, moving back into the cover of the forest silently. Checking behind him periodically to make sure he was not being followed. He walked for a couple minutes before deciding to take up his jog once again, convinced that no one was following him.

Crickets cried in sorrow tonight, for the ashes of the war torn town.

* * *

"Do you know who he is."

"No I've never seen him before, I have been to many of the villages up and down the coast doing head counts, and he did not appear in a single one of them."

"Is he a threat?"

"He did not bear a weapon and only seemed to want food. He could have been a deserter but I doubt it, a Noxian would have attacked."

The two ninja sat in silence.

"Would it be best if I followed him for a while until we confirm he is not a threat."

Shen nodded at his fellow ninja. She made sure her kamas were secure before disappearing without a sound. She appeared from behind a tree, near where the figure had started to walk away from the main road.

The female ninja thought to herself as she trailed the man, staying close.

'Who are you?'

* * *

 **Quick note: I reread these chapters to check multiple times for spelling or world flow. I try to get them out as soon as possible but there could still be errors. I'll catch them eventually. Thanks for reading. (All reviews appreciated greatly)**


	5. Chapter 5

The dim light of the moon was enough to illuminate the forest floor. Ducking past leering shadows and under the black outlines of branches. He ran throughout the night making sure not to stop for anything before he got home. The hoot of an owl made him tense but he kept moving, weaving between trees. He finally stopped when his home was getting near, the night air blew against him, his ragged cloak flapping in the breeze as he held it a little closet to his body.

The man had finally made it to the clearing of his home, letting out a satisfied sigh he moved forward towards the door. All of a sudden he froze, noticing a bucket next to the door outside, the same bucket that he had left inside when he left. He glanced at his surroundings, nothing but the bucket had changed, no footprints could be seen running along the ground.

He took a few cautious steps before reaching the door, heel to toe to make sure he was quiet. He quietly placed on hand on the front and pushed inwards, the door swung with a small rustle and he quickly stepped in, nothing was on the bed. He looked right, table and wall empty, he turned his head towards the left but stopped after a steel blade was lightly pressed against his neck. His froze and eyed the glint shining off the steal, he looked a little further left, minding the blade.

Standing there was another silhouetted figure, a shaft of moonlight shone through the ceiling, revealing the other warrior. He had the clear look of an ionian, a thin scar ran over his nose and his eyes were one of resolve. He was holding a katana, but not a normal one, it was larger than the man would have expected and the hilt of it was decorated in wavy white lines almost like the wind. The blade was steadily held at his neck. For the second time that day he raised his hands carefully, a clear sign of surrender.

"May I ask what a Samurai is doing in my humble abode?" He put emphasis on the humble, showing no signs of fear. 'Ninja, and now Samurai, its the first time in hundreds of years that anyone has even been near this area.' The swordsman did not talk for a moment, staring into his eyes before pulling the sword from his neck but not sheathing it.

"Just looking for a way to get out of the cold." His voice was firm with a smooth accent.

"Aren't we all." The man started to move forward to his bed, the swordsman's eyes on his back the entire time. He turned and sat down with a _wumf_ , leaning back.

"Do you plan to leave?" The man asked, looking at the ceiling in a nonchalant fashion. There was another couple seconds of silence, as if the samurai was to decide something.

"At dawn." The man nodded as the other's answer leaning back.

"Just don't have me wake up to a sword coming out of my chest." The man could not have cared less that he was sharing his home for the night. Even somewhat hoping that maybe he would not wake up at all. He smiled sadly at his thought before closing his eyes and tilting his head back. Death had already rejected him multiple times, what made this any different.

A couple more minutes later there was a snoring resonating from the corner of the cottage. Yasuo un-tensed his muscles and went back to his original position next to the door, back to the wall. There had already been multiple tries on his life, sleep was for the guiltless. There was no time to think about that past, he had to live in the present now. It had been three weeks since he left his post, three weeks since he was accused, three weeks of running, hiding, and killing, three weeks since he had taken his brother's life.

The cottage was silent throughout the darkest parts of night, hours passed without sound. Yasuo only listened for movement, waited for an attack that had not come. The sun would be up within the next hour. Yasuo secured his sword and prepared to leave the cottage like he promised, leaving the strange man in the forest to be. With one hand he gripped the sword and placed his hand on the door, ready for any assassin to try and surprise him when he left. He started to push forward but a thump behind him made him spin around drawing his sword.

A black shape that looked like a small puck landed in the middle of the room. Realizing what it was Yasuo dived out the door before it exploded, a cloud of smoke filled the house engulfing it in a shroud. He was ready to run but remembered that he was leaving that man alone inside 'dammit.' He was a murdered but not heartless enough to leave an innocent along to fight away the people most likely after himself. He turned around, sword at the ready and moved back into the home.

Yasuo rushed into the room, gathering energy in his body. He threw out a small burst of wind along his sword and cleared most of the smoke out of the cottage to be able to see. He squinted and saw the man pushed up against the wall kama against his neck. Welding it was a ninja wearing green clothing with a half mask over her mouth.

A rather panicked looking man started talking. "Exactly what crime am I accused of."

"Housing a traitor." The ninja said, her kamas dangerously close to his face.

"I was not aware."

"If you want to kill me I'm here." Yasuo readied his sword, pointing it at his opponent. He smirked, it was going to take a lot more than a single ninja to take him down. Akali turned her attention towards the original target. She brandished her kamas and took up a stance, calm and ready for the fight.

"Can we maybe talk instead of hacking each other to bits?" The man pushed against the wall suggested, his request was quickly ignored.

Akali rushed Yasuo swinging her kamas around her body with deadly flourish. The sound of steel hitting steel rang out. The man wanted to intervene but decided against after watching the fight progress, the two were in a deadly dance too fast to track. Yasuo was able to block almost all of Akali's strikes and tried to jab when there was an opening. Neither looked to be gaining ground. Akali jumped backwards and threw a concealed curved knife forward, Yasuo quickly responded by slashing at the ground and a whooshing was heard through the room. When the knife came close to him it ended up just flying straight up as if it had hit an invisible wall, embedding itself in the ceiling.

He tried to move forward again but Akali had taken out another smoke bomb and chucked it near his feet, it rolled for a moment and he kicked it towards the door, it exploded mid air and another thick layer of smoke spread throughout the settlement. Yasuo squinted hard, trying to make out where his attacker was going to come from. He was blind and needed to recover quickly. He started to gather more wind and a Kama came flying out of nowhere, he jumped to the side and took a defensive stance.

Another strike came out of the smoke aimed for his chest and he moved backwards it whizzed past. He turned but was met face to face with Akali already mid swing. Yasuo brought his sword up to deflect the lethal blow and it connected but from the awkward angle making his grip loosen and his sword clattered to the ground. Without hesitation Akali raised her kama was brought down towards his body and he prepared for the worst, closing his eyes. Yasuo waited but nothing happened, he peeled his eyes opened and mouth gaped in mild shock. The man that had been in the corner had stepped in front of the descending kama. Blood was dripping from the blade protruding from his chest.

Yasuo looked into his red eyes and they were filled with fear, startling him. The man let out a single choked word, it almost sounded like a command, "R-run." He closed his eyes and fell over, slumped on the ground. Yasuo quickly grabbed his sword on the ground and brought it up. Akali had taken a few steps back after unintentionally impaling the poor man.

"He is insolent for defending a traitor." She spoke evenly, flipping the one kama in her hand, the other still embedded in the man. She prepared for the fight to continue, it would be too difficult to remove the blade from the corpse now.

Yasuo grimaced, another dead, and an innocent too. He growled and raised his sword once again pointing it towards Akali, mentally preparing himself for the strikes to ring out once again. Both took their positions but they stopped as a whispering started to echo within the dark room. Yasuo took a step back and looked around, the shadows seemed to grow darker somehow, he gripped the hilt of his sword tighter. Akali was just a tense, the air was filled with another presence.

A slow chuckle began which eventually escalated to a cackle. Akali realized it was coming from the corpse on the ground. Her eyes widened as she watched an arm reach back and remove the Kama impaled within its chest. The kama was dropped to the ground and she watched in awed horror as the corpse sat up. Yasuo stared at the man, his eyes were bright, glowing a fiery red and the skin around them was scarred a black color. A smile now plastered across his face, he let out another small chuckle.

"My oh my it has been a while." His voice was from the man's before except it rung with low tone different from the one he had been talking with before. The demon stood up from the floor. Yasuo pointed his sword to the much more imposing figure. The figure tilted its head, grin never leaving its face.

"This is going to be fun."

* * *

-Seven years after the mining incident-

 _"Why do you wish to be the protector."_

 _"Because I have nothing left, only to protect others from great power." A man kneeled in front of a podium, talking in a monotone._

 _"You have shown promise and are well suited for the the task of guarding the artifacts, rise, keeper of the Blessed Vault." The man rose, his new title appointed. "Your task starts at dawn and shall stay that way for as long as you live." The man nodded and walked out of the hall, leaving behind him the ring of elders._

 _After his brother had passed away he constantly grieved, he had nothing left and turned his back on the world. It took him many years before finally receiving a job as the warden of a prison. Towards the rest of the world he was made of steel, emotionless, heartless. He had been tested many times, but he was able to get past them all. Nothing could break him, or at least no one but himself knew how. He had procedures for everything, no matter the opponent he would disarm and capture them, every time. No one has ever escaped from his grasp. Prison riot, first quell the large ones, it will scare the smaller ones into submission. Traitor, there was only one fate for traitors._

 _He did things methodically, without hesitation. Eventually he had taken a position as a guard, able to raise his rank and gain more power. His expertise eventually brought him to being a guard for a vault filled with dangerous and dark magical items, cursed artifacts. They had appointed him because they knew he would not break from corruption._

 _He smiled, fools._

 _The only people that knew his true face were his victims. After all, his hatred for the world was what drove him, he would torture people in prison. Taking out his anger on all the wrongs he had to endure. His life was a complete shit show and he wanted retribution. He loved bringing people to the very edge, right before death where they would stay. Sometimes his victims would die and he would feel a twinge of sadness, another toy lost. He slowly fell towards insanity and continued his work in secret, quietly using his rank to gain more victims. He was great at both jobs, guarding and breaking down the walls that held secrets. The walls encasing the mind._

 _It was brought to a point where he relished pain, screams were like music. His hate and anger changed him into a twisted soul, and now with his new position there was no chance anyone would ever find out about his cruel acts. Nothing left to guide him but his dark passion._

 _Yet no matter how far he descended into insanity, no matter how much his mind would twist with glee a constant thought would irk him. It annoyed him and he knew not how to remove it from his mind. Even though it was trivial he hated keeping unneeded things._

 _It was a single phrase, and a name of his past he wished to forget._

 _Never mind that, now he had an entire vault of torture devices for himself, and a whole lot more 'fun' was ahead. His grin widened as he walked down the empty hall._

 _"Time to get to work"_

* * *

 ***wink***


	6. Chapter 6

**Quick note: Sorry for the length, the next one will be longer.**

 **This chapter was fun to write though. Enjoy :3**

* * *

Yasuo watched the figure carefully, making sure to not draw its attention. He could fight ninjas but not the undead, or whatever that guy was. The wound in its chest zipped up, the skin patched itself together, now there was only a bit of dried blood and a gaping hole in its shirt. Yasuo gripped his sword in a tight grasp and pointed it at the other man rather than Akali.

"Well then." The creature said rather cheerfully. "Shall we begin?" It let the question hand in the air before stretching its hands up and closing its eyes. He grinned. "Begin we shall." The demon disappeared, one moment he was there, the next he was not. Both Akali and Yasuo stared at the spot where the figure had been.

There was a sharp kick that sent Yasuo stumbling forward towards Akali who neatly stepped aside as he tumbled in front of her. He landed ungracefully on the hardwood. Her attention was now focused on the attacking… person? Thing? She really did not know who or what this was, it sure looked like the man she was following but his actions and demeanor did not match the previous one. She would kill Yasuo later, she needed to defend herself now.

Another blink and he was gone and she spun around expecting him to be there but instead felt someone appear next to her. She bent her body sideways and a fist sailed past her. She quickly retaliated swinging one of her Kamas around towards the attacker but was only met by empty space.

"Ooooh you are a bit faster." his voice was filled with glee, he was enjoying this. Akali took out a third concealed smoke bomb and threw it at him, she might be able to fight him with the cover that it would provide. He simply caught it and rolled it in his hands.

"Nuh - uh uh." He was gone, there was a small thump coming from above the house and smoke fell in front of the window, he had gone outside when it detonated. Akali dodged another kick as it came flying from behind her. If she could keep this up all she needed was one lucky strike.

Yasuo had recovered from his fall and took up a steady stance, watching all angles. He would not be caught off guard a second time.

'Repetitive kicks can be fun but let's spice things up,' the Demon thought.

The Demon disappeared again. Akali tensed as she waited for the next attack to come, but the small hut was quiet. He teleported himself a good two hundred feet above the cottage. Yasuo and Akali glanced around, wondering where he was going to strike next. The demon hummed a tune as he fell down towards the house. The wind blew his hair around his face and he giggled in delight, this was so FUN. 'Riiiight aboouuut now' He teleported back inside of it right above Akali already moving at a speed too fast to dodge, she did not even have time to jump away from the falling Demon. He fell and landed on her. There was a large crash and dust clouded the area where they had landed. Akali's head banged against the floor and she was out cold. 'Well let's hope she's not dead' The demon stood up and dusted himself off, removing himself from the body of the Ninja.

"Well that was exhilarating, but I'm on... a tight schedule." Yasuo just stared at the smiling figure. "Sooo let's talk." The Demon appeared behind Yasuo, wrapping his hands around his waist. "You might want to close your eyes for this one." The demon whispered into his ear.

"What the fuuuUUUUU" They were both now over a thousand feet off the ground, the demon was in front of him, hands crossed on his chest in a sitting position. They started to descend at a very alarming rate.

"AHHHHHHHHHHH" Yasuo screamed loudly as they fell.

"THE SUNRISE SURE IS NICE." The demon yelled back, the sun was poking its head over the horizon, their vantage point making it easier to see. "RELAX I WON'T KILL YOU" He yelled again after the screaming continued from the other man. Yasuo tried to calm himself down, but it was hard when they were falling this quickly.

"WHAT DO YOU WANT."

"WHO ME? I WANT TO HAVE SOME FUN YOU KNOW, ENJOY LIFE. ALTHOUGH I GIVE MY 'PARTNER' A LOT OF FREEDOM WHEN IT COMES TO THAT MOSTLY BECAUSE HIS LIFE SO FAR HAS BEEN A SMALL FRACTION OF MINE AND HAS ALSO BEEN PRETTY SHIT." The demon stated matter of factly, he almost sounded sad for his other, almost.

Yasuo tried to concentrate on the figure in front of him but was significantly more concerned about the ground.

"SO YOU ARE NOT HIM?" Yasuo had already gathered that this was not the same man he had originally met in the cabin but wanted to know what he was dealing with.

"YES AND NO, SAME BODY." The demon motioned to himself. "BUT LIKE, TWO DIFFERENT MINDS, ALTHOUGH I HAVE LIMITED CONTROL DUE TO OUR 'CONTRACT' WHEN I TOOK HIM AS A HOST. SO IF HE DIED OR I DIE IT'S KINDA THE END FOR THE BOTH OF US, SO WE KEEP EACH OTHER ALIVE" There was a temporary break as Yasuo tried to slow his fall but instead ended up flipping himself, features on the ground were getting larger by the second.

"BY THE WAY HE CAN SEE AND HEAR WHAT IM DOING, I DON'T FEEL LIKE EATING YOU THOUGH, I AM ALREADY ON A FULL STOMACH AND YOU'RE PRETTY CHILL." The demon yelled before bursting out into laughter at what he just said as if it was a hilarious joke. He started to float closer to Yasuo who could just watch, his sword had not teleported with him. "IT'S KIND OF A CONFUSING CONTRACT." The demon stuck his tongue out playfully. "HE DOESN'T WANT YOU DEAD EITHER."

The demon's words did little to help the samurai's panic, he had become a little worried after he had heard the word "eat".

"WHY THE HELL ARE YOU TELLING ME THIS." The demon's smile faltered a little.

"MY 'PARTNER' NEEDS TO GET OUT MORE, LIFE GETS BORING AND I HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR HIM TO GET SOME ACTION. SITTING IN THE BACK OF HIS MIND GETS DULL AFTER A COUPLE HUNDRED OF YEARS." The ground was getting dangerously close and Yasuo looked up towards a hand extended at his face, "ADAM." The demon said, still elevating his voice over the sound of his wind. Yasuo reached out and gripped his hand in a tight grasp. "YASUO," He greeted, he did not really have a choice.

"THE NAME OF MY 'PARTNER' IS ADAM, AND I DON'T HAVE ONE. NOW YASUO YOU MIGHT ACTUALLY WANT TO CLOSE YOUR EYES FOR THIS ONE, STUFF IS GOING TO GET WEIRD." Yasuo looked down, within the next few seconds they would be a pulpy mess on the ground so he complied, shutting them tightly.

They were warped away and Yasuo felt strange, it had gotten a lot colder all of a sudden. He opened one eye carefully, they were underwater, he almost yelled out again but stopped himself. Their descent had been stopped by the sudden change in landscape, the demon still held his hand in a grasp, the smile never leaving his face. Their fall had been cushioned completely by the body of water around them, and since there was no air they didn't really get smacked.

Suddenly the water all went away and the world twisted inside out, the colors and scenery becoming a blur and rapidly changing. Now, they were precariously standing on the top of a volcano, magma dangerously close to where they were standing. Yasuo let out a not so manly yelp and crouched down, afraid he would fall into the bubbling heat. He had no idea where in the world there was an active Volcano, but he couldn't see any sign of anyone or anything else.

"Ah, that's a little better." They were quickly getting warmed up, steam radiating off of their damp clothes. "Nice to make your acquaintance." The demon nodded towards him. "Yeah, yeah, nice to meet you," Yasuo said hurriedly, he wanted to leave as soon as possible. His surroundings were hard to see. As far as he could tell the only thing that was not magma was the black rock platform under his feet.

"Well I guess it's time to go back," the demon said."Adam should be back by the time we return to the cottage, abusing my powers like that makes me somewhat tired so you two figure out what to do." The demon placed his hands behind his head.

"I've been wanting to try that for the longest time." The demon let out a grin and placed his arm around Yasuo's neck. "It has been fun, and don't think this is the last you have seen of me, C'ya"

The world around them disappeared.

* * *

 **Quick Note: The reason I chose the name Adam is because the name Adam itself means humankind, red, and blood which fits with the character.**

 **As always, thanks for reading! :3**


	7. Chapter 7

**The next chapter might not be as action-packed as the last one, don't worry more will be coming.**

 **Welp anyways, enjoy :3**

* * *

Yasuo's legs felt like jelly, he had just gone on the first, and last, skydive of his life. He looked up to see Adam, hands on his knees panting heavily.

"Just … because … he enjoys it … does not … mean I do" Adam explained between gasps, it's not that he was out of breath, he just needed some fresh air, not the type that was rushing past his face. Once the wheezing stopped he stood up and started to move towards the door of the cabin but halted right as he was about to push inwards. He took a step back and then groaned, knocking on the side of his head in frustration. Yasuo just watched with mild interest.

"Ugh, he is in my head, he won't let me enter." Adam let out a long groan. "He has not been this active before what the hell happened, or at least he has never really asked me NOT to do anything" Yasuo was quiet, watching him talk to himself was just a tad bit amusing. He had seen both sides of Adam, so he probably wasn't insane, probably. "He also says that the other ninja is alive but knocked out, you know who that was?" Yasuo shook his head. There was some more nodding and mumbling before Adam let out a tired sigh in defeat. "Yasuo go grab your sword it's inside because apparently I'm not 'Allowed' to enter my own house." Adam sat down on the stone pathway next to the forest's' edge.

Yasuo smirked, this was one crazy relationship the two had. Or one? He still was not completely sure. Yasuo's face darkened once again after thinking through the situation he was in. Although this man was... nice, he did not want allies to follow him down this path he wished to take alone. His revenge and retribution was his own, no one else's.

"Adam I appreciate the help but I would rather travel alone." Adam spun around to face Yasuo who started to walk past him into the cottage.

Adam did not reply at first, Yasuo stepped through the door and walked to the center of the room. It was somewhat dark inside and some of the smoke residue still hung in the air. Making sure to carefully step away from the unconscious ninja, he picked up his sword from the ground and started creeping back towards the door.

"WHILE YOU'RE AT IT CAN YOU GRAB THE SACK UNDER THE BED." He heard Adam's voice yell from outside. 'There goes trying to be quiet.' He moved over to the bed and reached through the thin sheet to find a sack of leather. He grabbed it and started to move back towards the exit. He heard a cough and watched Akali roll onto her back, then mumble something still only half conscious. The floorboards under her body had broken, the impact had been rather rough.

Yasuo jogged out of the cottage quickly, tossing the leather sack to Adam before moving as far as he could away from the sleeping ninja. He started walking in the general direction of East, path in his mindset.

"Where are you going?" Adam said before taking up a trot next to the samurai. The samurai stopped before turned around and looking at him directly into the eyes.

"Look I appreciate you helping," He drew out the word "helping", still a bit traumatized from the plummet he had taken earlier. "But I need to do this alone," Adam nodded. "You still did not answer my question though, where are you heading?"

Yasuo let out a sigh, resting against a tree.

"Just looking for someone in... particular, why?"

"I was going to make my way towards Demacia, maybe I could just tag along until we have to part ways." Yasuo was about to decline the offer but was cut off. "And maybe I could help you a little with the traveling." Adam compromised. Yasuo pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration.

"Fine but only until we get to deserts of Shurima, I can handle myself from there." Adam grinned and for a second Yasuo though that his 'other' side had come out, but Adam's eyes were not glowing.

"We should go before the ninja starts tracking us," The small grin faded. Yasuo just nodded, they started their trek through the Ionian forest.

* * *

'Why are you being cooperative all of a sudden, and talkative.'

'I am just happy we finally get to move around, that whole staying in a dinky cabin for the rest of our lives was just too boring, besides you need this.'

Adam was talking to himself, his demon.

'So is there any way you can speed this up?' He asked.

'Not really,' the Demon seemed content with their position. Adam was frustrated at the lazy response. 'I'm not really THAT lazy, it's just that, our current contract limits my interaction. I can't take control unless I get hungry, or you get yourself into a sticky situation.' Adam decided not to bring up the part where the demon had stopped him from jumping off cliffs.

'So you can not as you said, "take control," without me wanting you to.' Adam asked.

'I guess you could say that. Let's just say, I take over your body but you are still conscious. To make sure neither of us ends up somewhere we don't want to be.'

The Demon had never been this talkative before, Adam didn't even know he had a humorous side to him, or rather a voice besides the ominous whispers his head every now and then. The only time he had really heard the Demon was when it talking to him during the hunt.

'I thought you were just whispers in my head, what are you really.'

'That's for you to decide.' Adam frowned at the vague response. The Demon sounded rather jolly when talking to him. It was like a hardened voice in his mind, genderless and resonating.

'You force me to feed you when you get hungry? Why not just stay in control to get more power?' The demon thought before answering the question.

'Consider me a battery, I need to be recharged or replaced every couple of weeks, and when I use my powers for various reasons I use a little bit of that power. Also, I have already tried getting more than one soul before. That one time when I massacred a village, it gave me the same power as a single soul would have.' Adam cringed at the memory, a little surprised the demon could talk about it so casually.

'What's the fun with playing a game with no rules, you and I gotta work together to beat this game.' Adam didn't like the metaphor of their life being a game but he would go with it. 'I guess'

Adam was able to keep pace with Yasuo, soon the forest would break and they would have to find passage all the way to the mainland. They were still making their way through the Ionian forest, for now, the trees radiating life and energy. Everything here was interlocked, magic coursing through the roots and leaves. Adam let out a sigh, he would miss this place. It was so calm and tranquil compared to what he had seen or heard of the other cities and factions scattered throughout Runeterra.

"When you said that you would help us, travel, is there any way that could happen now?" Yasuo asked, still moving forward between trees.

'Well, can you.' Adam thought

'Hmmmm how about some help all the way to Targon pass, that is at least half of your journey, and a good way past the hard bit, but we have to make a contract if you want my heeeeelp.' The demon cooed.

'What do you want?' Adam asked a distastefully. It was not like he had too much of a choice in the matter. This thing in his head seemed to be able to control him at will.

'Let me have freedom of the body during the night.'

'N -'

'Wait wait wait, hear me out, I will not hurt anyone, I will not hurt us, I will make sure no one knows about what we do, I will just travel, and this will make it so I can at least do some research on my own and you can give me requests. I just want to learn more about this world. I don't think you realize how dull being me really is.' The demon was not innocent, but he wasn't a liar either.

Adam pondered this decision, on one hand giving a demon more power and the knowledge that he already had was dangerous, but at the same time he would rather try and reason with the being inside of his head, the requests would be helpful too.

'What about sleep?'

'I'll lend you some energy to keep yourself walking, no big deal,'

Adam groaned, 'Why the hell am I doing this, fine, fine, I will agree to these terms for now.'

'Perfect, I get control from when you fall asleep to dawn, or anytime sooner if I don't have too much to do.'

'I am going to regret this aren't I.'

'It will be beneficial for the both of us.' If the demon could grin he would have done so.

"Yea HE can get us to Targon pass but that's about as far as he is willing to take us." Yasuo stopped and raised his hand to cover the light shining into his eyes, looking forward through the foliage.

"Can you get us there before the end of the day?" Yasuo asked, the sun had started it's descent and would be falling past the horizon.

'Soooo now what.'

'Do you want me to take control?' The demon would not break their promise, he was not completely cold-hearted.

'Only to get us to Targon pass, or further, if you are feeling generous.'

The demon let out a small chuckle, 'Very well, to Targon pass it is, also this might be a little unsettling for you'

'What do you mean?'

'This.'

Adam fell backward like he had been shot, his body hit the ground with a thump, dust clouds kicked up from the drop. Yasuo looked over his shoulder, he cursed under his breath, this was one of the many reasons he did not want to worry about anyone else. He kneeled down at the body and shook his shoulders. Adam's eyes were closed and his body limp, his mouth lulled open.

"Hello, you awake?" Yasuo said to the body in his hands, confused. The eyes shot open, now glowing and much darker than they had been before.

"Kind of." A smile now plastered across Adam's face.

"Oh it's you," Yasuo stated in a monotone, the demon raised his hands to his chest in mock surprise,

"So you don't want my help?" The demon mimicked pouting.

"No no, just, get us where we need to go." Yasuo stood up and waited for him to move. This Adam was the one that had sent him flying.

"Humph, fine" The demon jumped up and extended his hand. Yasuo looked down at it before grasping it in a firm grip.

As soon as their hands touched they disappeared. The air collapsed into the space where their bodies had just been. Yasuo looked around at their new surroundings, breaking their grasp. Rock faces rode upwards into the cover of clouds on either side. This was definitely somewhere in the mountains. It would be another couple of days worth hike before they made it to Shurma as long as they continued in the right direction.

"And why can't you just take us all the way there?" Yasuo felt the steep rock faces. Adam smiled and stretched left and right, leaning back to look at the sliver of sky between the two slabs of grey orange rock.

"Because where would be the fun in that?" Yasuo sighed, It was better than nothing. There was another whump and Yasuo looked behind him to see that Adam was again lying face first on the hard floor. After a couple of seconds, he peeled himself from the slab, eyes now back to their normal state of dark crimson. He stood up and rubbed his nose, eyes rolling around in their sockets before coming to a stop.

"He didn't tell me I would get knocked out," Adam grumbled.

"Well then," Yasuo turned towards the trail ahead, "let's get moving." Adam shook his head before taking up steps behind the samurai, footsteps echoing off the high walls making an ominous noise.

By the end of the day, they had made it a good couple of miles and found a small alcove of rock to camp for the night. The pass was pretty plain, faces of rock winding around bends and turns. Layers and layers of smooth stone making the pass surreal. Yasuo set down his sword and unstrapped the bamboo bottle at his hip, taking a large swig before leaning back against the high wall. It was going to be another restless night, but he sure as hell did not need to stay sober for it.

"Gimme a sec." Adam disappeared behind a rock and a few minutes later came back, he was now wearing his attire that he would normally only wear on a hunt. Baggy black and grey pants, a deep red long tunic that hung in folds like waves, he held the mask in his hand.

Yasuo looked at him curiously,

"What's that for? Some kind of ritual?" Yasuo sat down, legs crossed.

"I made a deal with the devil," Adam said moving the mask up to his face. It was secured by a single small strap.

'Oh, cmon I'm not that bad.' The demon chirped.

Adam secured the mask and let his consciousness dim. A reds glow emanated behind the mask and if one was to look past it a sly grin started to form on his lips.

"I'll wake you up in the morning, don't die." The demon said, his voice echoed along the walls, "Don't die, don't die, don die, don di. dn di" The voice faded into the distance.

The demon was already gone.

* * *

 **Thanks for reading :3**


	8. Chapter 8

**Adventure requires courage and a little bit of crazy.**

 **Enjoy :3**

* * *

It was a warm night in Demacia, the lights twinkled in the streets and dinner stands . The demon stood on a tall buildings near the kings hall, one hand gripping a spire. He leaned out over a steep drop onto a tiled roof, other hand hanging loosely by his side. The buildings below him sparkled and the city was lively, stores, shops and business. People were smiling and enjoying the peaceful night. Demacia had already sent relief forces to Ionia there was celebration in the air at Noxus' defeat. The demon took a deep breath, smelling the food and crisp air.

The scene was bliss, the night had an atmosphere of peace to it, and yet it was so lively. The glowing criss-crossing streets along with the gentle breeze felt just right. Demacia itself was not too flat, vertical rock faces and hills had settlements along their sides. The capital city had a large dam that would filter water from the massive rivers and lakes into the ocean.

'Much like Noxus, Demacia has grown into the image it once had.' The demon said to himself. He moved to the dark side of the building and started leaping from the windows and onto small ledges, making a soft impact down onto the houses below. He could feel the null magic emanating from the buildings and the stone foundation, it made him feel a little sluggish but wasn't nearly enough to stop him. The demon was intent on just exploring for now, information could be acquired just from watching.

'How should I approach this?' He had made a promise to not be found, he would have to stay safe within darkness. The demon decided just to jump from roof to roof, sliding down shingles and staying in the shadows.

'That looks like fun.' The demon had stopped on a rather large structure, if he reached out far enough he could touch the walls to the kings hall. Guards paced around on nearby walls, covering the surrounding landscape like ants. He did not want to risk getting spotted so just decided to teleport himself to the top, the very top. The city stretched out around him, this was the pinnacle of Demacia. 'This is much more pleasant than Noxus' the demon thought to himself. The white stone that the city was built on reflected well in the night, Noxus just seemed to suck all the torchlight in. He didn't care for politics or anything like that, but this was still a much more lively place then the black immortal bastion of Noxus. He was very curious, the only time he ever gathered information was when he sent Adam on hunts to sate his hunger.

Tonight he would just watch, the best vantage point was only a jump away. He took a single step back before leaping forward, grasping onto a small ledge and pulling himself up, loose clothing flapping in the gentle breeze. He inched around until he was facing the glowing city, he sat there, legs dangling in a carefree manner, sitting on top of Demacia. It was the small freedoms he enjoyed. The reason he had told Adam they were going to Demacia was because they would be threatened the least there.

Adam would be able to live a simple life which is what he wanted, and he would be able to learn more in a new and much more lively place, away from the boring forests of Ionia. Of course there was the problem if anyone within this city was out to get him, but he doubted it.

The demon watched from his perch, there were people filling in and out of a couple of restaurants, most of the area was lit by houses, groups of friends bustling along the more busy streets, laughing and enjoying themselves. He watched as a metal vehicle made its way down the street, no hose attached. 'I did not see to many of those in Ionia, it's probably for the wealthy.'

The demon just sat there, he was not bored, this was the most fun he had had in decades. Just watching people live their lives, he smiled sadly. Maybe one day, just maybe there would be a place there for Adam, and for himself. Ordinary, living every day, he enjoyed the hunt, relished it, but Adam always seemed rather bothered.

He let out a small chuckle, "I got what I got, don't get to ahead of yourself." He looked up and was greeted by the light of the moon, he raised his hand and waved. He started humming a tune as he looked at the stars, each one shining and helping illuminate the sky.

"Life looked down upon us."

"And even though she is cruel"

"She took us in her arms and taught us to seek beauty of our own."

"And even when the embers glow of our past."

"Our future lay before us long last"

"Some may see their road, and some may leap ahead."

"Life told me to stop where I was."

"So instead I found beauty within life itself and was content."

He looked down upon the city singing his tune, voice soft in the vibrant night.

A single pair of eyes was watching him, the eagle had been circling far above him ever since it had spotted the unusual movement near the king's royal hall. The young Demacian eagle dove downwards into the dark corners of Demacia, flying low above the houses. It landed on it's owners arm who pet under its neck affectionately. The Demacian Eagle made a couple of chirps and screeches.

"An invader? That sounds pretty serious Val." The eagle let out another caw. "Let's go see what it is then." The scout moved forwards towards the direction of the kings hall. The eagle took flight once again and flew upwards into the cover of the night.

'Hmm I said that no one would know WHY we were here, I never said that they could not know that we were HERE, so I can explore but I need to fit in somehow.' The demon was trying to find a way to actually walk among the people without them realizing. It had been a while since he walked among people, surely things have changed by now. His clothes were not suitable, they would only draw attention especially in the reds and blacks. Adam would have to wear a normal cloak tomorrow.

A glint of light caught his attention, he tilted his head down towards one of the larger houses nestled near the base of the towering kings hall. A glow was coming from the courtyard in the back, most of the houses along that street was dim, this one stood out, time to investigate. The street in front of the house was empty without a nearby street light to illuminate the surrounding area. He teleported down, making sure to appear in a large tree in front of the house that was well shaded. 'I should probably chill on the teleportation.' He was feeling a little tired from constant use of the ability, he shook his head and smiled. The demon was wearing out, if he kept this up he would not have enough energy to get back to Targon Pass 'time to do things the old fashioned way.' Nothing like stalking citizens throughout the night.

He looked at the archway leading past the gate, large stone letters carved into the front of it 'Crownguard, well that's a very prestigious name.' The house itself was very large, adorned with the Demacian colors of white, blue, and gold. 'This is probably a mansion not a house,' he said to himself. The glowing light was concealed by the looming walls. He decided to find a better vantage point, jumping from the branches of the tree over the fence and landing in a roll on the neatly trimmed grass. Quietly he made his way to one of the pillars before wrapping his arms around it, he lifted himself upwards, one hand over the other, reaching the roof.

The roof was made of sturdy shingles and he crouched low to not fall off. He stepped forwards over the rise in the roof of the house and quietly slid down the other side, resting his feet on the edge near the gutter. Here he could clearly see the mysterious light while staying hidden. He was somewhat surprised when he found the source. A young woman was sitting at a bench against a short wall. She was wearing a blue skirt and leggings, she had a casual white shirt on and golden hair falling down past her shoulders.

The demon watched intently, she was reading a notebook in her hands slowly flipping the pages. Sitting next to her on the bench was an staff, but not a normal one, either end had a golden piece that wrapped around in a decorative way. A light was shining from the ends, illuminating the courtyard and the notebook she was reading. 'Hmmm a light mage,' the power on the staff was kept constant, it did not flicker or dim whatsoever in the couple minutes he watched her turn the pages, 'not too much of a shabby one either, good use of regulating mana. Especially within the null magic walls if Demacia.'

Suddenly a loud screech sounded above him, he scrambled backwards and ducked behind a chimney. The demon looked up and saw a eagle with feathers of navy blue, it was circling above him. 'Oh no,' he thought to himself, if wanted to move away he could not teleport. He had already used a decent amount of energy, sure he had power from souls, but not energy.

Lux looked up from her book to where the screech had come from. "Valor?" she called, the bird was Quinn's partner and normally not seen around the city. 'That's weird, why would Valor be here?' She thought to herself, it looked like he was circling the roof of the house but there was nothing there. She stood up, picking up her staff and starting moving to the back door, stepping inside and walked down the long hall. Moonlight shone through the windows and her feet echoed in the empty hallway. She moved around the corner to open the front door.

Looking outside there was little light and she raised her staff and illuminated the front lawn, Quinn was standing at the front gate looking up at Valor. Lux slipped on a pair of shoes and walked forward to the gate. They had known each other from their training in the army, both able to graduate around the same year.

"Quinn what are you doing here?" She asked, a cheery resonance in her voice.

"I was assigned night patrol near the kings hall, it's been rather dull because no one would be crazy enough to try and invade it, but Valor is interested in something." She tilted her head further upward to see her feathered friend still cawing above the house.

"He says there is an intruder but I can not see anything, it's too dark, who would be here anyways?" Quinn squinted harder to no avail.

"Let me help." Lux raised her staff and made a sideways stroke, a ball of light shot forward and hovered above the roof of the house.

The demon wanted to move from behind the chimney, he moved forward and peeked over the edge of the roof. A ball of light was flying towards his face and he quickly pushed himself backwards and it flew past him. 'To bad for keeping secret.' He dashed forward, running and turning to jump over the fence running along the house. He landed in a roll and quickly kept running forward to the street.

He looked behind him and saw another loop of light heading directly towards him, he jumped to the side and it flew past him. He kept moving forward, running at a constant pace. There was a caw above him and the demon looked up just in time to see the eagle with his talons extended toward his face.

He had to dive to the side to ensure there would not be rake marks along his cheek. He grunted after picking himself off the ground and tried to get up but a crossbow bolt came whizzing towards him and hit his pant leg, sticking it into the ground.

'Welp, I only said that I would not tell anyone WHAT we do but that did not mean I can't interact with anyone.' The demon would be able to teleport back to the pass within the next hour if he didn't use the ability now. He stood up and faced the two people chasing after him.

They slowed down after noticing he stopped, approaching cautiously. Quinn had the crossbow aimed at his head, making sure he didn't try anything.

"Who are you and why were you sneaking around?" Quinn said calmly, aim focused on his skull. The demon stayed silent for a little, it was not his place to tell her the answer of either question.

'Hmmm let me try something.' He reached into the back of his mind, 'There you are.'

'Holy shit what are you doing.' The voice of Adam rung out in 'their' head.

'Just waking you up to ask you something.'

'What.'

'I was just wondering if I can maybe, hopefully, disclaim your name.'

'... did you get caught?'

'Maybe'

'...'

'That's all they get about WHAT we are doing, I'll go back after this.'

Adam let out a long mental groan.

'Fine, I don't need more of this shit though demon.'

"Talk before we knock you out and take you away." Quinn said calmly,

'Impatient aren't we' The demon smiled behind the mask.

"The names Adam" He held out his hand.

"And who may you be?" The red glow radiated with excitement.


	9. Chapter 9

**I write for fun and to get better. I appreciate criticism big or small, thanks.**

 **:P, I don't pay too much attention to lore dates. Kek. Keep in mind this story was made before the map was updated!**

 **Enjoy! :3**

* * *

Quinn was somewhat surprised at the masked figures forwardness, she kept a straight face, only blinking a couple of times, deciding not to answer his question.

"Why were you on the roof of the crownguard house." She made sure to keep the crossbow steady, he had been fast and almost gotten away once.

"Just curious, I saw her light coming from the courtyard and wanted to explore." He nodded his head towards Lux who was standing behind Quinn, baton raised.

"It's not everyday you come upon a competent light mage." There was a small hesitation before Quinn asked another question.

"How do we know you are not an assassin." The demon did not answer immediately, he was interested in this woman, she was wearing intricate blue armour, light enough to run in but also thick enough to block a dagger. The strange part was that it was decorated looking like blue feathers from a bird.

"Because I would have already killed you, or whoever I was after." He said blatantly. There was rising tension in the air, not good, the demon wanted to leave this unscathed.

"Just let me sit down I'm tired." He leaned backwards and plopped on the ground right then and there. He lifted a hand to the bolt lodged into his clothing, pinning him to the ground. He grunted with effort while only using Adam's muscles to try and remove it from the ground. He yanked it out and Quinn's finger dangerously tightened on the trigger to her crossbow.

"There we go," he rolled it on the ground and it stopped at her feet, she glanced down at it before looking up the the peculiar figure sitting in front of her laying down in the middle of the street hands and legs stretched out like a starfish. He was looking straight up towards the moon.

"It's a beautiful night, so many stars." He let the light touch his face and he embraced it. Lux moved up to stand directly next to Quinn, eyebrow raised. She lowered her baton and crossed her arms.

"He is definitely not from Noxus," She whispered into Quinn's ear, Quinn made a tiny nod in agreement. Whoever this was, was not in the right mind.

"Now what?" The demon lifted his head off the ground lazily to look at the two standing in front of him. "I'm ok with anything just don't take the mask off." He tilted his head back to watch the stars.

"Ask him where he came from." Lux whispered again, she was not to good at intimidation herself, although Quinn's authority seemed to have no effect anyways.

"Where did you come from?" Quinn was a little less tense.

"Ionia actually, it's pretty nice there." A look of confusion crossed Lux's face.

"Wasn't it just invaded?" She asked.

"Yea but I lived in the middle of nowhere." He started humming.

"How did you get here." Quinn wanted answers.

"Walked."

"Then how did you get up the - "

"Climbed" He cut her off before finishing the sentence. Quinn frowned a little and lowered her crossbow.

"Who are you?" There was a quiet silence, she watched the unearthly glow radiate from the mask. "Or better yet, if you are not human what are you." The demon lifted his head off the ground, the blank expression looking straight at Quinn. There was another pause before he swung his legs back then quickly shot them forwards, using the momentum from his hands to lift himself onto his feet.

"Who are you asking me or him." The demon crouched low and rested on the ground.

"Who else is there besides… you." Lux asked. The demon moved his hand up in a fist and knocked on his head. "Someone else."

"We want to know both." Quinn said again, Valor was still watching from above, ready to track them if they started to run.

"I am a uhhhhhh-" He twirled his hand thinking of what to say. "-mmmmmm spirit of some sorts. I'm not a bad one, wait no, uh, Im not a good one either, huh." He stood up and stretched his arms. "Aaaannnd he." He stretched backwards extending his back. "Is a dear friend to me, and has been able to tolerate me for the past." He moved his arms in front of his chest, dragging out his words as he stretched. "Abouuutttt." He hung his arms loosely at his sides. "Maybe around, 300? Ish years, which I commend him for. It is rather hard to have me talking in your head."

Quinn had a poker face on before shaking her head.

"What?" The demon shrugged before looking down at his empty wrist. "Well would you look at the time, it's pretty late and I need some rest. I will be taking my leave, not immediately, but soon." He looked back up at the moon and smiled. "Is there anything else you want to ask me."

Quinn new what she was going to do, she had to. "I'm going to have to ask you to take off your mask and come with me, unfortunately I can not allow you to leave right away, trespassing is still an offense even if a minor one."

The demon stood silently, the moon creating an eerie white light shining down on the three figures. "I'm sorry but I can't do that."

"Do what."

"Either of your requests." Quinn kept her hand on her crossbow steady by her side, ready to be used if needed. "I can not take of this mask, this is my face," he motioned to the mask, "The one behind it is his. I can not come with you because I made a promise."

"Then i'm going to have to make you."

"Give me five minutes then." The demon sat back down on the ground legs crossed, five more minutes before he would able to make it all the way back. "May I ask a question?"

Quinn raised an eyebrow. "Depends on the question."

"What is your name?" The demon asked. She debated whether or not to tell him but her name was already known around Demacia.

"Quinn." The demon nodded a couple of times in thought.

"It's a nice name, and who may be your companion from above." Quinn looked up to see her feathered friend still carefully watching.

"That's Valor." He glanced up, meeting the beedy eyes of the Demacian eagle.

"Very Demacian name." He turned his attention to the light mage. "And who may you be miss." Lux smiled brightly before answering, "Luxanna Crownguard, you can just call me Lux though."

"Well then Lux and Miss Quinn." He stayed sitting on the ground and lifted a single hand to the mask, peeling it forward so it only exposed his mouth. He had an ear to ear grin on his face. "I hope to see you in the future." He waved and Quinn brought her crossbow up towards his face, by the time the sights were on him there was a rush of air and he was gone.

Lux squinted where the figure had been, the dim light around them shimmered for a second then returned to normal.

"He's not cloaked, he just disappeared out of thin air, no spell was used." Quinn lowered her crossbow and let out a sigh.

"Lets just hope he wasn't here to harm anyone."

* * *

Adam appeared back in Targon pass a couple of bends down from where Yasuo was camping.

'I thought you had things under control!' He mentally hissed at the demon.

'Relax, I did, I did. Besides I did not break our promise, I only told them about who we were and not what we were doing there. It's fineee.' The demon was acting carefree as normal.

'What if they caught us.'

'Pfft as if that could happen. I gotta go to sleep so have some nice chats with our buddy.' He let out a mental yawn.

'I'll wake up later tonight, seeya.'

Yasuo had his back to the wall, the first bit of early light was beginning to show as the darkness started to wash away. He heard footsteps nearing him and he quietly placed a single hand on his sword. He watched the bend in the stone walkway.

"I knew this was a bad Idea." Adam came murmuring around the corner and Yasuo let out an internal sigh, letting go of the handle of his blade.

"So how was your little adventure." Yasuo started to stand up, stretching his tired muscles.

"Ok…" Adam was wearing the normal brown cloak, brown sack slung over his shoulder.

"Let's get going, if we keep up this pace we can reach the outskirts of Shurima by tomorrow night." Yasuo nodded in agreement and they started moving forward once again.

"Who do you want to find again?" They walked at a steady pace, rock walls reaching high up creating echoes bouncing back and forth.

"Someone." Yasuo said quickly, Adam didn't press any further, the samurai being touchy on the subject.

"Why do you want to go to Demacia, or is HE making you." Adam kept his face forward the first rays of sun making their appearance along the high walls.

"I think he just wants me to move, and Demacia seems nice enough." The short awkward conversation didn't stretch any further, both left to their thoughts.

As the day moved on there was little chat between the two, small hills and declines in the path were common but nothing impassable. Targon pass was sometimes used as a trading route between Freljord and other Southern city states, although no horse drawn carriage could make it past the inclines, it was relatively easy footpath.

It was midday before the pass started to widen out from the narrow canyon, they were at least halfway through at this point. Adam had his head down as he walked, absently thinking. He bumped into Yasuo suddenly, taking a step back and looking up to the impassive face of the samurai. Yasuo was looking forward at something past the bend. He motioned to stay quiet by moving one finger to his mouth and another to his sword. Adam heard it, a shuffling sound from around the next bend in the rock accompanied by small grunts. Slowly Yasuo stepped forward until he was right before the bend.

He concentrated hard waiting, then he rushed around the bend quickly while drawing his sword. He let out a small shout while swinging his sword across his body.

"HASAKI!" and a small yet strong, wind tornado was thrown forward, wrapping away from the blade and towards the intended target. There was a squeal before Yasuo dashed forward and raised his sword above his head, swinging it downward upon the airborne creature's neck. There was silence before Adam peeked his head around the rock, mouth making a small 'O'. Nothing like some decapitated Boar.

The fire crackled in the evening, clouds creating a colorful veil in the sunset. The two sat around a fire with a makeshift spit above it, hastily made from sticks and some extra string Adam had in a pocket. They chewed and Adam smiled as he raised his mouth.

"Damn dude, I didn't know you could catch and cook wild boar." The poor creature had been grazing on a small patch of grass before Yasuo caught it, he was surprised that there was only one there, they were normally pack boars.

"It's the same as Ionia boar, we had to learn a little bit of hunting while in training." He took another big bite out of the juicy meat, the first real meal he had had in days.

"This stuff tastes good, I have never eaten mountain boar before but this is way better than the soup I normally get." Grease dribbled down his chin. All he head eaten for the past decades was hot broth, rice, few common berries, and the occasional deer when he was lucky. After living in a cabin for a LONG time all he had been focused on was living a simple, peaceful existence, or at least as peaceful as possible.

'Oh good you're all nourished up.' The demon perked up in his head. He let out a big mental sigh, if he was lucky tonight would be toned down.

'Mhm' Adam thought. 'You can go again, just DON'T do something crazy.' The demon only chuckled in response.

'I will try my very hardest to not do anything "Crazy".' The sun was only halfway down the horizon and once again Yasuo leaned back against the wall legs crossed.

'Also just wear the normal cloak for this, you can put the mask under it if I need it.' The demon said.

'What why?'

'So I don't look as suspicious.' Adam mulled it over,

'Won't people see my face?'

'They won't remember the face of some commoner just walking through the streets, I won't make conversation or anything just walk around. If I REALLY need to I will put on the mask, only if things get messy.'

Adam facepalmed 'Why do you do this'

'Knowledge'

'Fine, do what you must.' The wind whistled its cry through the small canyon, the demon was gone.


	10. Chapter 10

**Half the time I let my mind wander in worlds it creates rather than in reality .-.**

 **The things I know best are the most boring :P (But writing this if fun). Review pls, they help me keep this story going and are very much appreciated (I don't know what I'm doing wrong so you gotta help me me) :) Enjoy!**

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'Another pleasant night.' This time he was along the outskirts of the lower residential district, just inside the wall protecting the majority of Demacia's citizens. The last bits of sunlight were still peaking over the horizon, casting the city into a dark glow. The demon took in his surroundings, a couple of houses, windows dark and a street leading further into the city. He hopped once before trotting forwards, reaching into the back of his mind he found Adam.

'You there.'

'Ugh, what do you need me for?'

'I dunno, how does it feel to be in the back seat?' The demon asked, his lips instinctively curled upwards.

'It's Relaxing, when you are not doing anything psychotic.' Adam replied. The closer he got to the center of the city it became steadily more lively, more lights, people, shops.

'Won't they notice the glowing eyes?' Adam thought.

'I put a small light veil over it so they look brown.' The people that he passed didn't even give him a second glance, proving his point.

'You can do that?'

'I can do a lot of simple things with the limited power I have.' He continued forward, heading down one of the main roads that looped towards the heart of the city at a small incline.

'Ima just get some rest, don't let things get out of hand.'

"You got it boss." The demon said out loud, moving further towards the heart of the city. A few heads turned in his direction and he just giggled.

After a short jog, he made it to a public square with a large statue in the center, it was bustling with action, people moving left and right in large crowds. He made his way closer to the base of the statue, careful not to come colliding with anyone. The white statue was very large, showing off a man in extravagant armor brandishing a lance that pointed east. A white crown was on top of his head, his expression fierce.

The demon moved towards the plaque engraved by its feet. " _The great and exemplar Jarvan III, for the better future of all of Demacia_." The demon tilted his head back to look at the statue, he let out a whistle before continuing forward, walking past it and back into the streets. Moving towards the royal hall, weaving his way in between the crowds of people. He listened for any interesting conversation but was only met with small talk.

'What to do, what to do, so many options.' He thought to himself, feet lightly hitting the cobbles as he walked at a moderate pace.

'Oh, I know.' He did not stray from his path, continuing towards the royal hall. The sound and clamor from the square started to die down, less action in the housing areas.

'Ahhh yes.' He appeared at a familiar dim street closer to the king's hall. Walking down the street he made it to the same dimly lit mansion as yesterday. Every building along this road was a mansion, large and extravagant. The demon walked down the streets in long strides, hands resting by his side.

He stopped for a moment and looked down at his feet. 'Well, I don't know what I expected but there is nothing for me to do here.' He grinned and waited a couple of seconds before turning and continuing down the street, further into the dark.

'Let's see what we can find.'

Lux was sitting on a simple swing, tied to a tree branch above her, she rested her head on the rope as it moved slowly back in forth. This small park was just down the road of where she lived when she was a kid her and her older brother, Garen, would chase each other around the trees and have picnics on the short grass. All that changed after he was enlisted into the army and her 'affinity' for light magic was discovered. During the night this place was empty, a calm reminder of her past and a place she liked to visit when quiet, especially when fireflies were out.

This was a nice break from a boring dull day of political meetings and various banquets that King Jarvan hosted. She was excited to get back onto the fields of justice, most of the things she did in Demacia were boooringggg.

She hated being an object, another flag to represent their conquest for justice. Not that she was against it, sometimes she was just overwhelmed by the prospect of being nothing more than a symbol her whole life. Smiles here, laughs there, She closed her eyes and breathed deeply in the night air, sitting in one of the darker parts of the park, the swing hidden behind a layer of shrubs.

There was a short rustle and the sound of footsteps patting on the grass became clear. On instinct Lux opened her eyes and reached down to her baton which was sitting right below her. She carefully rest her feet on the ground to stop the motion of the swing and stood up to peer over the bushes.

The Demon had continued down the street until there was a small junction in the road, he decided to turn right and walked forward down the cobbles. He looked up to the stars and they shone brightly through the small bit of open sky behind the cover of the leaves. He looked for a place without as many trees and found himself in front of a small open field of cut grass. It was not too big but provided enough space for decent stargazing. He walked into the middle and sat down, tilting his head upwards to the night sky.

Just like the night before the stars shone brightly, twinkling, each and every one beautiful in it's own way. The demon chuckled at his own fascination with the stars, he rarely found beauty in most things, yet there was a certain happiness instilled in him whenever he reached upwards towards the luminescent sky.

He leaned backwards on the damp grass, limbs spread eagle.

'Screw doing work.' He relaxed, taking in the smells of the fresh air and cut grass around him, oblivious to the light mage watching him from behind a bush.

Lux was a bit confused as why this man was here, in a park, in the middle of the night. Well not that she should be saying anything but still, she had never seen this person before. He seemed to be enjoying the stars which were understandable. He lay back on the grass and just stayed there lying on the grass.

'Is there any possibility? No, no don't be stupid, the same person wouldn't come here.' She wanted to move forward and confront him but also felt that it would be rude if she did so.

She shook her head at the silly thought,'C'mon he wouldn't mind if you just stay here.' She made herself move forward, tilting her mouth into the ever-present smile and clutching her baton by her side.

The Demon heard movement behind him and twisted his neck back to see what it was. He was surprised to see the mage from yesterday, Lux was it, moving towards him from the corner of the park. He cleared his throat and made sure that the disguise on his eyes was still covering them.

"Hello." He said tentatively, still not sure if she would recognize him, he tried to speak in a slightly more monotone voice.

"Hi there." She answered in her cheery tone. "Not many people come to this park so I was a bit surprised to find someone here this late at night." The demon stood up casually and dusted off the back of the cloak.  
"I just enjoy the stars." He smiled a small smile and once again turned his attention to the shining lights above. "And why might you be out here all by your lonesome self."

"I just come here to relax from my daily duties." Her hands behind her back. "It is good to get away from it all". As Lux got closer to the man something seemed off, she looked more closely at the figure, there was a distortion of light somewhere. Lux tried to squint to find out what it was. "So uh, what brings you here specifically to Demacia." She was trying to get near the man, there was an itch that something was off.

"It's just a nice clearing with fewer trees and buildings obstructing the magnificent view." He motioned with his hands above him.

"Yea, especially during this time of the year the stars must be great." Lux took another step, then another, leaning forward a bit to try and discern what was wrong. Then she saw it, a shimmering around his eyes. She took a step back and brought up her baton. With a small twirl, she refracted the light away from his face to see what was behind the veil. The demon ignored it,

She let out a small gasp and took two steps backward, raising her baton in a defensive position. His eyes were glowing, a bright luminescent crimson. 'The person from yesterday, this can't be a coincidence.' She thought to herself. The demon still unknowing that his cover was blown just looked at the light mage with an eyebrow raised. She was now extremely worried that this person could hurt her.

"What?" He questioned. Lux was cautious with her next words.

"Sorry, you just… scared me for a second." She tried to relax.

"What did I do?" Lux was trying to calm down, her heart was racing, the person from last night that was on the roof that she and Quinn caught, the one that had disappeared into THIN AIR.

"Uhhhh nothing." She tried to not tense up so much, keeping a grin plastered to her face.

"Are you following me?" She tried to be inconspicuous but failed horribly. The demon turned his full attention to the light mage in front of him, mouth twitching into a larger grin that was unpurposely creepy.

Lux wanted to run, a dangerous aura was radiating from his figure.

"No just exploring, I like the stars." The demon said.

"I-I could tell." Obvious nervousness in Lux's voice.

"Is something wrong you are acting strangely." The demon was somewhat skeptical. Lux was sure that this person was the same as yesterday, she tried to memorize the features of his face which was somewhat difficult in the dim light.

"No no, not at all." She tried to think of a possible solution to try and get more information without him realizing.

"Well I will be taking my leave, it is quite late and I have an important meeting tomorrow." She nodded and turned toward the entrance of the park near the road without looking back. The demon simply watched as she passed,

"Bye".

Lux stepped onto the street and started a fast walk down the road to reach the Crownguard mansion. She made it through the gate and to the front door, she turned the knob slowly and opened it without a creak. Her parents had arrived home after staying the night on the other side of Demacia, they had not seen her for the past couple of weeks because of her work in the league. If her parents woke up now the questions would not stop until the next morning, and she really wanted sleep.

Lux had taken a breakfront the League of Legends after the king had called back the demacian champions because of the invention, luckily they were to go back within the next week.

Once she was inside she peeked out a window to see if he had followed, all she saw was the dim empty street. Lux closed her eyes and mentally prepared herself for the small spell she was about to cast. She raised her baton over her head and in a small twirl cast a simple light refraction around her body, making her invisible to the naked eye.

This might not work if she was right next to someone but it would be good for tracking unseen. She quietly opened the door again and shut it, making sure no one was watching. She ran down the street and towards the park, prepared to follow the strange man.

The demon sat with his back on the grass, after Lux had hastily departed he just decided to lay down on the grass once again and watch the stars, grin gone from his face.

"Hey." The demon talked out loud in the calm night.

'Woah.. What? You startled me for a second there.' Adam thought. "The stars are great, thought you might enjoy them."

'But, I can't see?'

"Here use this." One of the demon's eyes closed which made him look like he was winking and when the eye it blinked slowly as if waking up from a deep sleep. The eye had lost its glow from the demon and was just a dark red. Adam could see from the single eye while the demon used the other.

"Better?"

'Y-yeah, you can do that?' The demon chuckled softly, yes, yes I can.

'It's a damn beautiful night.'

"You got that right."

Lux watched quietly from the darkness, careful not to cast a shadow. When she had arrived at the park the figure was laying down on the grass. 'Is he, talking to himself?' Lux listened closer, he looked like he was talking to himself.

"Here use this. Better? You got that right." Lux scanned the area to whoever he could be talking to but saw or heard no one. The night was late, the sound of the crickets dying down. She waited there for a couple minutes, the figure had not moved, just watched the stars. 'Why would he just be here, he can't be here just for the view.' Lux had experience with assassins or people with evil intent before. After she had left she would have expected him to do SOMETHING unless they truly were there just to relax.

Her ears perked up when she heard him talking again.

"Well no, yea here seems to be a nice place. Much more vibrant than Ionia. I was thinking more towards the West side farmland." The figure nodded his head and shut his eyes. "Mhm, you got it."

"I'm getting tired, I think I'll just call it off here, I've seen enough. Goodnight." Lux watched intently, the man was gone, disappeared completely. Lux blinked a couple of times from her hiding spot before letting out a tired sigh, it was late and she did have an important meeting about her position as a champion. She walked down the dimly lit street, enjoying the peace and quiet within Demacia.

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 **I try to keep the chapters not to short or too long, between 1k and 3k. Not sure if it would be better to make them longer :P Thanks for the few that left feedback! (I try to post every one to two weeks btw) Thanks for reading!**


	11. Chapter 11

"You're back early." Yasuo was laying down on the stone. Adam let out a sigh before slinging the sack over his shoulder.

"Yea, well we should get going." He let out a yawn and stretched his arms.

"You gotta get your redemption and I have to...travel, apparently."

'Up the canyon we go.'

"This is the most exercise I have gotten, in a LONG time," Adam said. They had been moving up a constant slope that made the journey significantly harder. Adam had great stamina and the demon helped supply him with energy, but even with his fit body a full day with an upwards hike (without the demon for help) was taxing on his body.

"Well we are almost there, it's already heating up." what Yasuo said was true, the temperature seemed to rise as they neared their destination.

"I guess you will not have to worry about people hunting you here, but Shurima's climate can be pretty unforgiving," Adam stated, Yasuo nodded in agreement. They trudged forward, Adam slipped on a section of loose gravel and grabbed a ledge before he hit the ground. He pulled himself up and kept walking forward behind Yasuo

The sun beat down from above and the as they moved upwards, the Canyon started to look shorter, the walls not moving upwards along with the slope. Adam wiped a hand across his brow while Yasuo had not even broken a sweat. The ground had seemed to turn soft, moving from hard rock to more soft limestone, eventually leading to the sand of the desert.

"Hey, Yasuo have you ever been to Demacia?" They stopped for a moment and Adam leaned against the wall to get back his breath.

"No, but I have seen pictures of it on postcards." He raised a hand to the sun, measuring the distance from the horizon to the glowing orb. 'We will be just in time for nightfall.' he thought to himself. "Let's make sure to keep moving." They picked up their pace again, continuing to follow the rock walls leading to their destination.

It was about another hour before Adam saw what looked like the top of an incline. Yasuo was already there and he stopped. "Looks like we're here." Once Adam reached the top he set his gaze on the desolate view. The sands of Shurima were magnificent, but at the same time in the glow of the sun, they looked like death. Heat waves radiated off of the rolling hills of brown, reflecting more light across the land. From here on out this landscape would go on for hundreds of miles, and if you didn't know your way around, that was a long long time to be walking.

"Think you will be able to make it?" Adam asked, at this point, even he was skeptical if the samurai would survive the long trek in the sun.

"I've read maps about different settlements along my way west, I will." Adam reached his hand up to shadow his eyes, checking if there was any sign of change in the landscape. Nothing but sand in every direction spreading out from the rock face of Targon pass. Adam sat down and Yasuo joined him on the ground. They sat in silence in front of the small view, when Adam looked down to see a hand extended towards him, holding the bamboo flask of Sake Yasuo always carried.

"There is a little left, drink up." He had filled it with water for it to last but there was still some of the drink left, diluted within. Adam took hold of the flask and drank a small swing. He had not been much of an alcohol drinker before the incident long ago. His face contorted before he handed it back to Yasuo, swallowing it then coughing at the taste.

It was sweet but also had a bitter aftertaste that would leave your mouth stale, even with water in it the drink seemed strong.

"You drink this?" Yasuo nodded solemnly, "It helps me get away from the past." They sat there as the sun and the horizon started to bleed together, rippling in the bending light.

"Well for the short time we were together it wasn't all that bad." Adam kept his eyes scanning the skyline, Yasuo just stayed silent. "Well, I guess this is it," Adam said.

"Yes, yes it is." Yasuo lifted the drink to his mouth and took a small swig before attaching it to the rope cord running along his waist. "May the wind be with you Adam, but don't forget to watch your back." Adam nodded and stood up.

"I hope you find what you are looking for." He looked down at the sitting form of Yasuo, one of his hands resting on the hilt of his sword.

"Redemption, redemption and revenge." Yasuo said, "Even if I can not accomplish redemption I will still be able to seek revenge." There was a short awkward silence, neither wanted to disrupt it.

"May our paths cross again," Adams stated he wasn't much for goodbyes. "And even if they don't may we both find peace." Yasuo stood up alongside him and raised his hand. Adam took it in a firm handshake.

Yasuo let go to look towards his destination, "Our paths will cross again friend." Yasuo breathed in the air. Adam smiled and saluted once. The night was already starting to cool down rapidly, the desert being freezing at night contrasting its hot day.

Adam's eyes closed, they opened again, both an intense glowing red. He ruffled his hair and half waved.

"Later."

Yasuo nodded. "Goodbye." and with that, Adam and the Demon were gone.

'So what is our plan.'

'I already went over our plan.'

'You just said go to west Demacia and… live for a bit? I guess.'

'Well more than that, do some research, gather information, gain more power, and meet new people.' The demon was ecstatic.

They appeared in the middle of a grassy field in one of the more agricultural sectors of Demacia lining the west wall. He made his way to a wide dirt road and followed it closer towards the city, of prints and feet flattening it over time. The wall loomed above him as he got closer and the sun was casting a shadow across its side. There was a small hut and guard station near the gate, guards in front stationed to not let any suspicious figures in.

The Demon tsked his teeth, 'this won't do at all.' He looked to his left and saw a wheat field growing long enough to conceal him if he ducked.

"Perfect." He fell left calmly and before he hit the rough ground disappeared. He had teleported behind the wall, now standing behind a small house to not be spotted. He had been tired out by that short spell, he would need more energy soon.

'Adddaaaam.'

'What'

'I'm getting tired faster.' The demon complained.

'So?'

'Well I need some more energy, and you have to get it for me.'

'Oh…..'

The demon chuckled, 'you gotta do whatcha gotta do.' 'I got my cravings, and I will give you until tonight as long as I help you, that ok?' he asked.

'Usually, you would give me more notice.'

'Well it's a special occasion, and recently you have been making me actually have to work for once so I'm going to need it more often than normal.' The demon nagged.

'Fine.' Adam sounded dissatisfied with the Demon's answer but complied anyway. 'I just need passage to Zaun and Noxus.'

'Great, great, but first.' He raised a finger in the air and started to march forward.

'It's time to find, some form or residence that may or may not be permanent. May we sleep in not an alleyway.'

It was only about an hour and a half before the Demon stopped in the middle of the street. "Why is this so haaaarrrddd." The Demon raised his hands up at the sky, balling his fists. "Nobody wants to house some random stranger without money." He lowered his hands and sat in thought. "Jobs are hard, the army is bull, and I will admit that I am not a scholar." He tapped his chin. Living in a cabin in the woods wasn't looking to bad.

"Well screw it I'll work on this later, I'm getting awfully tired from all of this yacking."

"ADAM" He yelled up at the sky, eliciting a shout from a nearby household to promptly shut his mouth. He snickered.

'Adam'

'Wat.'

'Time for you to do your thing.'

'Now?'

'Yes now.'

The demon closed his eyes and they dimmed somewhat, the body now being controlled by Adam.

Adam let his mind rest before reaching behind him and pulling out the mask from the sack, setting on his face. He would change into the proper clothing for mobility then probably head to Zaun, enough people with some sketchy morals there for him to intervene. He would make it quick, unlike the last one where he was more disconnected.

"Bring me to a heavy soul Demon." He didn't want to, he never did, but he would, or else there would be hell to pay.

'As you wish.' The demon voice becoming calmer. The wind whistled in the hollow night of Demacia, the Demon was gone.

She leaned back in her chair as she read the form with keen interest. Everything she received these days was just some drunk people ranting about ghost sightings or the occasional specter lurking in the woods. Both tasks she could complete with ease. She sighed as she shuffled through the papers on the desk, candlelight illuminating the small study. Her crossbow leaned against the wall and her cape hung up on a coat rack near the entrance. As she shuffled through them one caught her eye, it had a red seal on the top that meant it was more important than the others. She turned it over, examining the writing on it.

She quietly pondered what she would do, this was an interesting case. There was a sketch attached too.

"Rural West side of Demacia huh." She read the note a second time, making sure to get every detail, rested her chin on the fist of her hand, she had come to a decision. She reached for the quiver of silver bolts, taking one out and examining the tip, the dangerous metal shined in the flickering light. Whether it be blighted, cursed, or eaten away by the shadows she would find it, and put it where it rightfully belonged, not in the realm of the living.

In a swift motion, she grabbed her crossbow and slung the cape around her shoulders, making sure the small quiver of bolts was attached to the autoloading mechanism along her wrist. She exited the door, the draft that the cape created only left a wisp of smoke from the extinguished candle.

The hunt was on.

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I plan to have the turning point within the next chapter or two, so stay tuned for some real plot to kick in. I am going to be moving this story more towards the league so hopefully, things will be more interesting. Thanks for reading!


	12. Chapter 12

He shivered, huddled up against the side of an alleyway. Adam had gotten back from his 'job' about an hour ago, he tried to forget the event, cast away the memory along with his past.

Every single time he did this he regretted it, the act itself seemed gruesome.

Cautiously he had walked into the lab, trying not to touch any of the loose wires or hanging equipment, the dim light just enough for him to see. The only sound was the soft hum of the fan and gentle clinking of chains.

He remembered the chains from the ceiling, dismembered limbs on the end of hooks that looked like they had been bitten off. The crazed man was hanging over a limb that resembled an arm, Adam wasn't so sure anymore. There had been metal tubes running through the skin that lead to the fingers.

The man had been picking out pieces of flesh and discarding them to a small pile before attaching small pieces of metal to the arm. Adam had watched the grotesque scene with stunned horror before deciding to finally end it right there. Hopefully, lives were saved by him taking action.

He shook his head to try and forget the mutilated limbs before returning to the clean streets of Demacia, a welcoming sight compared to the twisted city of Zaun. He closed his eyes, resting his head onto the small sack of his clothes, he was next to a small back door. Darkness clouded his mind and he fell asleep.

The sound of birds awoke him, chirping in the morning light. Adam opened his eyes slowly and stretched his legs on the floor, groaning he shook his arms to wake himself up. 'I could just go build a cabin somewhere.' his experience with housing was relatively limited. 'Damn I'm lazy.' He said to himself.

'Wow I feel great.' the chipper voice of the Demon perked up in his head. Adam ignored it and took his belongings and moved out of the dark alleyway onto the street. It was still dark and the streetlights were still on, conflicting some with the early morning glow.

'Hey with your information collecting can you actually give me some useful info on what to do now.'

'Uhhhhhhh.' The Demon said nothing.

'Great so you have been taking me here every night to do nothing.'

'Hey I enjoy life, I live in the present.' Adam outwardly groaned at this, he had nowhere to go and no prior knowledge of what to do.

'How about you just go walk around the city and if you find somewhere hiring you can check it out?' Adam pondered the Demons idea and decided it was worth a shot. 'Got nothing better to do.'

'Just make sure to try and stay around this area, fewer people will be looking for credentials or past experience, the rest of Demacia is slightly more civilized.'

They had been staying in what was considered the slums although it was relatively clean and orderly compared to the more rundown city-states. It had its fair share of beggars and homeless but most of them joined the army or kept at shelters. Without a defined destination Adam shook himself and moved forwards, 'I just hope I will be able to find NOT nothing'

Vayne took a look at the sketch she was provided, the un-detailed image looked to be an Ionian man with a slim face, sly eyes staring at her softly. Some notes written off to the side stated that he had red eyes and not too many belongings, she ignored the rest of the information and stuffed the paper into a pocket, it would be enough to easily discern him from the rest of the residence. Vayne was interested in this case, it had been sent from a high chain of command, warranting her attention, stamped with the official seal of one of the royal houses. She wouldn't have to worry if they were dead or alive, no questions asked, and since they were supposed to be a class of spirit or demon, preferably dead.

She kept to the shadows, glancing up and down streets.

Although with the vague description of 'West Demacia' hopefully, she would be able to find her target within three hours. Normally it would only take about one but this one was different. She scoured up and down the streets for a sign of movement, red glasses helping her vision in the low light. Sunrise was not going to be up for at least another thirty minutes before she would have to use a different tactic, searching for this so-called "Demon"

She had may her way to the rooftop to watch one of the main intersections of the streets, using the shadow created by the slant of the roof next to her for cover. She would periodically check different intersections throughout the day. Not many people were out this morning, mostly just the farmers that would move out to work in the fields before coming back to their homes and families.

She waited patiently, the enemy would come to her and that is when she would strike. The sun was starting to peek its way over the horizon, clouds turning from gray to a puffy white. It was time for her to move. She nimbly stood up and climbed the taller building, keeping low to the roof and moved forwards. Although this part of Demacia was mostly comprised of single-story houses and small buildings the rest of Demacia was considered a vertical city, high citadels, and towers to show power, not to mention it also helped conserved space.

She vaulted over another house and kept moving, making sure her feet only made silent taps on the shingles. It was another minute before she reached the next intersection, a five-way cross street that was one of the main roads leading deeper into the city. She rested on the top of the roof and scanned down the street. She would wait here for another thirty minutes before continuing to the next intersection, making this loop for the rest of the day until she either got fed up or confirmed that this creature was in hiding. After that, it would move on to more spying work and get closer to some of the locals. Hunting specific targets was not an easy feat unless they were clearly isolated.

She waited, no one came down the street that was lit with uneven lights. She shifted the weight onto her left side and stretched an arm behind her back and kept her eyes pointing forwards. There was a small bit of moment further down the road, just far enough that it was hard to perceive.

She removed her glasses and held them in her left hand, then pulled a small orb that looked like a marble from her right pocket. She lifted it to her eyes and tilted it so that it would give her a better sight down the street.

It was a simple spell on the glass ball that could magnify twenty times further than her normal eyesight, very useful for its size. She squinted and waited as the figure came into better view. She sat there letting it stride forward and its face was finally visible. It was the man in the picture, the same one with crimson eyes, carrying only a leather sack over his shoulder.

Although on the outside this person looked normal Vayne new better, her own father had been tricked by that once before. She put back on her glasses and drew the information sheet once again. She read the bottom more carefully this time. "Subject has high mobility and we have not confirmed but most likely the ability to teleport without leaving a trace, this is to be taken seriously and should not be overlooked."

That line of information would be all she needed. Carefully she removed a vial that she kept along a belt when she was hunting. It was a very deadly concoction that she was lucky to get her hands on. With a combination of poison from the mushrooms deep within the Kumungu Jungle and one of the heaviest produced sedatives from Piltover, the substance was deadly and at the same time making sure the prey would not get away. Knock them out immediately, then let the poison do its work. She did a double check of the surrounding area, nobody here, she didn't need to claim deniability she had the official papers to do this kind of work. Show them the seal and others would turn a blind eye. People would be surprised to find this kind of assassination happening in Demacia of all places, but it would happen more than a few would like to admit.

She removed a single arrow from her quiver and uncorked the tiny vial. She let two drops fall onto the silver and run down the sharp edge. With the poison bolt now ready, she carefully replaced the vial in her belt and unlatched the crossbow from the mechanism on her back. The figure was coming closer and soon would be in optimal firing range.

She lined up the sights and calmed herself, breathing slowly and making sure her heartbeat lowered. She looked down the top of the crossbow and closed her other eye, keeping the target in sight. Every kill she made was to remove the blighted from this world, they did not belong in the realm of the living. Her mercy had left her a long time ago, along with the slaughter of those she loved.

She breathed in deeply and aligned her target in the middle of the X. She exhaled and made sure that it was aimed correctly, this bolt would not miss. When she finished the exhale she stopped, holding her breath and checking one more time that the target was in range. Her finger tightened on the trigger and the metal clunk of the heavy crossbow reverberated in the early dawn.

The bolt went flying straight through the target and hit it squarely in the stomach, the poison would take immediate effect. Vayne stood up from her position and the figure down the street slumped over. She climbed down the side of the small home and walked towards it, another successful hunt.

* * *

Adam was walking down the street, it was not like he expected to find anyone awake this early in the morning it was still better than just shuffling around that cold alley. The fresh morning air was relaxing and he held his sack over his shoulder. His feet clacked on the neat cobblestones and he continued moving forward, enjoying the morning.

What could go wrong? He continued forward and was able to see a split up ahead in the road. He squinted to try and see what was near the end but it was still too far away. He closed his eyes and inhaled, still trying to shake off the feeling from last night. When he opened them again he noticed a small reflecting of light from the top of one of the houses at the intersection.

It could have just been a piece of glass or a small bit of reflection off a metal surface. He moved his hands up to cover his eyes but all of a sudden stopped.

His hand fell to his side and his ears rang. There was a sharp pain in his abdomen and he looked down, there was a long elegant bolt protruding from his stomach. His brain couldn't fully understand what was happening. '...A-Adam' The demon's voice sounded panicked in his head, he could not register anything after that except mumbles, his consciousness was fading.

He reached down to touch the bolt, his vision doubled and blurred along the edges.

Adam fell forwards, he was already unconscious before he hit the ground.

'This is where I die.'

* * *

 **Don't worry, it isn't really the end XD. I will try to pump out the next chapter because I dislike cliffhangers too :P.**

 **I wanna make this story better!**

 **Well, off I go! Thanks for reading!**

 **:D**


	13. Chapter 13

**Quick note: I use '' for thoughts and emotions and stuff and "" for speaking/dialogue.**

* * *

Everything was consumed by darkness. It was just black space , no feeling, no smell, no sight, nothing to hear. It was all just black. It was an echo in the darkest nights, and an abyss that one could fall forever without knowing.

'Is this death?' His voice seemed to echo all around him, wherever this was.

'Ok good it worked.' a second voice rung out in the emptiness.

'... Hello?'

'Yes hello it's me, don't worry about introductions we need to act quick.'

'W-What happened?'

'Ok i'm going to go over this briefly because we don't have much time. You were hit with a rather large poisoned bolt.'

'Oh'

'Your heart was stopped for about twenty minutes while I struggled to figure out what to do, I had no control over your extremities but because you keep me alive and vise versa I've been trying my hardest.'

'Good? I guess. How am I hear? You said my heart stopped.'

'I have been artificially pumping your heart and keeping your major organs stable, even though it's taking a pretty heavy toll on me and I almost have no energy left. This is the first time I have tried to communicate with you which is putting more pressure on me.' The demon stated this with a strain, time was ticking. 'I also have not kept track of how long you have been in this state so we could have been in this state for hours….. or years. I was just trying to maintain your proper state of mind.'

'What now?'

'This is where things get interesting. So, we have two options here, 1. I try to pump your heart for as long as possible before some miracle happens, or 2. I do some stuff that could either end up even worse, or get us out of this predicament if we are very very lucky.'

'How could this get any worse?'

'You don't want to know, the reason I wanted to ask you is because what I was planning for option two would be using the rest of my energy.'

'What exactly what were you going to do?'

'Uhhhhh… I was going to try and infuse more power into your body, and since the origin of where I am from is rather shaky then it might cause us to become a rather large magical bomb, or it will be able to be controlled. This is my soul essence, this stuff isn't really a joking matter.'

'Is that all you were going to do?'

'Well I was going to flow an enormous amount of energy through them to try and get us out of wherever we are, which if I could guess the general timescale is literally six feet under. I would then use my one last burst of power to get us above ground and kick start you into being conscious, you would have to carry on from there.'

'Negatives?'

'I have to infuse my power within you and even though I have already done that to an extent, tinkering with the body and magical energy is extremely dangerous and could offer some side effects. Some which include fates worse than just death.'

'It's not like I really have a choice then.' Adam knew what he was going to do.

'So option one, miracles do happen you know.' The demon sounded like he was in defeat.

'What? NO are you crazy, option two.' The demon was quiet for a second.

'Are you sure?' This was the first time Adam had heard him truly worried. 'If this ends up failing it could put us in a pretty bad place.'

'Yes I'm sure, miracles don't just happen and I trust you need me enough to not screw this up.' He questioned what he had just said but decided to go with it anyway.

The demon spoke up again. 'Let's hope this turns out for the best. Also, one last thing, after you wake up, if you do wake up, I need energy so getting it as soon as possible would be good. You won't feel me doing anything because only your brain is awake, so luckily your nerves are still asleep cause this might hurt.'

'Let's just hope it works.'

'Oh and one more thing. I have no idea where you will be when you wake up, have fun!'

'Oh… so uh'

'Notimegottadotheritualbye'

Before Adam could react his mind faded to black.

"Hey cupcake did you get the other one," Vi had the robber in a headlock who was clawing at her arm to no avail. "You might want to stop that unless you want one less arm, or two."

There was a shout from the other room and Caitlyn stepped out.

"He's stuck in a net along the wall." She re-adjusted her hat and rested the gun on her shoulder, blowing a stray strand of hair from her face.

"Another catch, two more amateurs." She huffed and looked around at the destroyed wall of the bank. "Vi couldn't you find any better way to get here."

The other woman just smirked back, still having the thug in a headlock. "Sometimes you just gotta make the door, besides it was safer this way" Caitlyn only shook her head at her partner's reckless antics. "Sure… safer."

"Let's try and wrap this up and get back." She mumbled to herself. The weekend was ending, they would have to take their routine positions back in the league and come back next week to bust some crime. She had just appointed several new officers so hopefully when they left things would be handled.

"Hey, do you mind taking these two back to th-"Caitlyn stopped mid-sentence and shut her mouth.

"What?" Vi asked.

"Quiet I hear something," Caitlyn said, raising a hand. Vi listened closely and gave the thug under her arm a bop on the head to quiet him. She heard it, a rumble that came from directly below them under the steel floor.

"What is that?" The ground started to shake and they had to steady themselves and crouch low.

"Is this an earthquake?" Vi had to grab onto a nearby table for stability. There was a large boom and a major tremor that almost knocked them to their feet. There was a sharp scream outside and Caitlyn moved towards the hole that Vi had made.

There was smoke in the distance and the tremors had stopped. She raised her scope on the sniper and peered through it towards the source of the commotion. The bank they had been in was on the top of a hill, offering a clear view of the destruction further away.

'It looks like it's coming from the Piltover Public Cemetery, strange.' Black smoke was already billowing from the explosion.

"Vi call a backup patrol to take care of these two, we have some business to attend to."

"What is it this time?" Vi said. Caitlyn lowered the scope of her rifle and moved forward towards the rising smoke.

"I don't know but let's get going." Vi made sure the man was unconscious and pressed a button on a small box that detached from her gauntlet, chucking it behind her and following Caitlyn down the street. 'That will make sure that they are dealt with.' That box would bring more men to this location. She took up a short jog and followed her partner down the street towards the chaos.

He was asleep, his vision was black and a nauseous feeling swept through his body. He tried to inhale but was met by a solid resistance, no air. Adam raised himself up and swiped at his face, the layer of dirt on top of his body fell off. He was sitting in a large hole, a burnt casket was next to him, the dirt around him blackened by some kind of explosion.

He tried to raise himself and hobbled on his legs, his muscle and stomach were shallow, his body had not eaten in weeks. Carefully he placed his feet along the hold and hoisted himself up, maneuvering to get to the top. He grabbed the edge of the pit and peered out the top.

Surrounding him was a bunch of rubble and dirt, broken and littered gravestones formed around his hole, a result of the explosion. The grass around him was either gone or completely singed black. Near him, a large number of trees within the cemetery had caught fire and billowed smoke into the air. Adam was weak at the knees and dragged himself forwards out of the grave he was in.

His energy was quickly waning and he resorting to dragging himself across the ground, crawling away from the grave. He was able to get a couple of feet before realizing how fruitless his attempts were and turned on his back towards the sky.

'Watch the clouds roll by, heh.' He snickered to himself, he didn't know why. He wheezed, lungs taking in smoky air, leading to a coughing fit. He brought his hand up to his face, shuddering, and curled up in a small fetal position. Burning branches above him started to fall, he didn't have the energy or the motivation to move.

He watched a twig in front of him that was ablaze, the fire licking up and down in the air. It seemed so small yet so beautiful. He smiled and closed his eyes, the heat hitting his back. 'I'll just fall asleep for a bit.' He started to close his eyes without even acknowledging the clear danger he was in. When his vision was only a sliver of light left he saw large metal objects moving the burning objects in front of him. There was a tugging and his body was dragged and lifted up the ground.

He let his eyes completely shut as his senses dulled and the world faded to black.


	14. Chapter 14

**Btw** _ **Italics**_ **means it's a flashback.**

 **Enjoy! :3**

* * *

" _Do you ever wonder what it would be like to fly?" Adam sat down in the dark cavern. His brother sat across of him already taking a bite from the plain sandwich. They had another thirty minutes before they would get back to mining deep within the dark mountain._

 _The brother swallowed his food before answering._

" _I mean there are people that are already able to fly Adam."_

" _I was not asking if you could, I was asking would you enjoy it IF you could."_

 _The other brother took another bite of his sandwich._

" _I don't know, probably. I have always viewed the sky as a symbol of freedom, so yes I would like to fly. It would be just you and the sky, watching the world bloom below you. All the cities, trees, the life you could see it stretch forever" He closed his eyes and smiled, the thought of it made him happy. Adam nodded his head at the response._

" _Hey," Adam took a large bite of his sandwich, muffling his speech, "D- you thin we will evr make it ou of here?" He swallowed and looked to his brother for his reply._

" _Of course. If we keep up the hard work we might be able to get a place to settle down. We still have the majority of our lives ahead of us. Maybe even one day we will fly." Adam took a bite from a bland apple._

" _Hmmmmm" He looked down at the soot on his hands, letting them fall as he hung his head. There was a pat on his back._

" _Don't worry we got this, we're gonna get out of this hellhole together."_

" _Promise?"_

" _Promise"_

* * *

His eyes darted opened, he was laying down. Adam watched the fan on the ceiling rotate slowly in the light. He looked to the left and saw a small table with a glass of water on it. His arms and legs did not hurt when he moved them, they just felt sore and creaky. The clean cover fell off of him as he shrugged it off, sitting upright. An IV was stuck into his arm running from a bag above him.

"Hmm." He sat there looking up, just watching the fan go around and around. It was a few minutes before a nurse walked into the room. She was holding a clipboard and did not see Adam until she looked up. Her mouth formed an O and she moved to the side of the bed he was resting on.

"How are you feeling?" Adam peeled his eyes away from the fan and onto the person standing in front of him.

"Fine, thank you." She started to jot notes down on the paper in front of her.

"Does anything hurt or do you feel any discomfort?"

"No." She wrote down another note.

"Great, well I am glad to see that you're fine, you really got yourself in a situation."

"Which was?"

She took a deep breath before answering, "You were extremely malnourished and weak, multiple counts of internal bleeding, and exhaustion, your heart rate fluctuate constantly, you're lucky to be alive." He just looked into her eyes.

"I was told to inform them immediately of your awakening so I will be right back." She finished the short conversation and started to strut out of the room. Adam watched her leave keeping quiet. 'Hmmmm, Strange.'

* * *

"Vi! There is absolutely no chance that he could have anything to do with it." After they had gotten the call from the hospital they decided to go directly there. Two days ago when the incident occurred they had arrived on the scene which was already ablaze. The trees were on fire and ground burnt. Vi had immediately rushed in to make sure no one was there and luckily only one person was found in the middle of the inferno.

It had been a man laying on the ground next to a giant hole in the ground butt naked. This alone had confused Caitlyn, there had been no action around the graveyard for weeks if he was the person in the hole the cameras definitely didn't catch it. His body was very thin and frail from being malnourished, there was zero chance that he could have gotten out of that alive in that state. After he got to the hospital they had run a magic check to see if any at all resided in his body, it all returns zero.

The only evidence of who could have caused the event was the damage and the man found in the fire. At this point, she wouldn't be surprised if somehow he had come flying down in a meteor and somehow hundreds of people missed it, this was a rather strange anomaly.

Her mind blinked back into reality when she heard Vi's voice, "But how could he NOT be the one to cause the destruction, it was clearly him!" Vi threw her hands in the air, she was forced to leave her gauntlets back at the station because they were not officially on duty, they would not have allowed them in the hospital anyway.

"Then tell me how." Caitlyn continued her march down the hall, coming closer to the room that the man in question was in. "Give me some clear evidence how this man was able to blow a giant hole in the ground, survive the explosion, at the same time appear out of nowhere, and to top it off, without any traces whatsoever of magic!"

Vi folded her arms and scowled in defeat, she was well known for being stubborn.

They reached the entrance to the room and Caitlyn pulled the door open to step in, Vi closed it behind them.

Adam was sitting up in bed still watching the ceiling fan, the nurse had already left after confirming that he was in fit condition, not suffering from any more ailments. His eyes turned away from the fan and moved down to the two entering the room. He seemed to be in a slight trance as if he was still dreaming.

"Hello there, my name is Caitlyn and this is my partner, Vi." Vi just kept her arms folded. "We are both officers from the Piltover Police department and have a couple of questions of you Mister …"

"Adam."

"Right then Adam would you like to tell us what happened two days ago at the graveyard where we found you."

"I am having trouble recalling the incident can you tell me what happened please." He asked, keeping himself calm.

"Well there was a large explosion that rocked the ground and we arrived at the scene to find the entire cemetery ablaze. No other people except you were currently present and we were able to bring you to the hospital in one piece. Now tell me, Adam, what were you doing in the middle of the Cemetery on the brink of death?"

He waited a couple of seconds before answering, "I don't know." Caitlyn pursed her lips.

"No idea at all?"

"I can't recall anything before then."

"Well then." She was trying to decide what to ask next, this was another dead lead. Although there was nothing but some burnt gravestones and a large patch of trees removed it would still help if she could figure out HOW it happened.

"Can you tell us where you live? Any information to shed some light on this event. Relatives?"

"Well I was traveling to Demacia from Ionia, I'm somewhat of a nomad, no relatives."

"That's quite aways." Vi talked for the first time. He would have had to travel across the ocean and trek a good way just to get to the outer towns and cities.

"Yes, well I just wanted a change of scenery but now." He motioned towards the window next to his bed, providing a magnificent view of Piltover. "I am not so sure that I am in Demacia right now." He smiled and let out a soft chuckle.

"How did I get myself into this mess."

"So this is the first time you have seen Piltover based on what you just said." Adam's face lit up,

"So this is Piltover, what a lovely city."

Vi tapped Caitlyn's shoulder, motioning for them to step out of the room. She complied and closed the door behind them.

"So he didn't do it."

"Most definitely not." Vi sighed and rubbed her eyes, she had stayed up last at the tavern listening to shitty puns and bad jokes from Ezreal and Jayce.

"So what do we do?" She seemed impatient as if just itching for something exciting to happen.

"Leave him to his own devices, I will look into it more and double check if anyone else could be involved but after that, some cases just can't be solved." Caitlyn sighed and moved back into the room.

"I think that's all, for now, Adam, thank you for your cooperation." She nodded curtly and quickly left, started down the hallway with Vi in tow.

"We're coming back tomorrow to double check before seeing him off, he's not cleared to leave here until tomorrow evening"

"I don't think we are going to be able to get any more answers."

"It is still worth a shot, it's not a very interesting case but it is still one worth solving."

Adam stared out the window, the machinery keeping the scene constantly moving. He enjoyed watching the clouds, their complexity and abstractness being so beautiful.

The majority of Piltover's electricity and power was generated by separate hextech power plants underground, silently able to make power by extracting it from runes at a highly efficient rate. Although this was able to supply the majority of Piltover the original source of energy was there. The Reservoir that was kept almost directly in the center of the city. He wasn't sure where in Piltover he was but he had heard before that this place was absolutely massive.

This reservoir was on the top of a large hill and man-made rivers and gullies would stream it to different parts of the city, both for the fresh water and to generate electricity for smaller households.

Although this system was not the most efficient it had not been changed and constantly reliable.

The hospital Adam was staying in was near the bottom of the mainstream of water off to the side, providing a good of the ever-changing city. Adam sat there in the bed, recently he had just been thinking, not of anything particular, just thinking.

His mind finally landed on the Demon, the being that had gotten him and kept him in this mess.

"Oh yeaaaaaa." He said aloud, he still needed to reap a soul to get power for the demon.

For a second he felt discontent, realizing why. It was not because of the fact that he would kill someone but more about the fact that he was fine with killing someone. That sense of other life was gone. He muttered incoherently to himself, trying to parse together his mind to find the reason behind it. He wanted to feel remorse yet, It was like trying to remember a word you just forgot, that feeling right there except so far away.

Where was the regret, where was the regret...

He looked at his hands, nothing seemed out of the ordinary when he looked at his wrists, turning his hands face up and face down. He let out a sigh and turned back to the circular window on the side of the hospital. The sunset had started and cast the brilliantly glowing city into an art show, hues of pink and orange dancing along the windows.

'Hmmm Piltover.' The room was quiet, the fan casting a rotating shadow along the wall.

'Piltover.'


	15. Chapter 15

**Sorry for short chapter, time rush ;-;**

* * *

"Righhht abouuuuuut, here" The vibrant woman attached a mine to the wall and haphazardly bolted it in. Nothing a few nails and duct tape couldn't do.

"Oops, almost forgot." She took out a can of spray paint from her belt and gave it a hard shake before writing out an image in large pink letters.

"J - I - N - X, perfect." She skipped away, swinging her blue ponytail in a circle behind her, a sadistic grin plastered on her face.

"Fishbones were going to have so much fun!" She slung her rocket launcher over her shoulder and moved a hand to the mouth, using it like a puppet. The metal clanked up in down, creating a harsh banging noise.

"Oh well isn't this dangerous, people could get hurt."

"Pshhh it's just a little water, water couldn't hurt anyone. Trust me I did a loooot of planning for this one, a solid minute before this genius idea was thought up, and you know how hard thinking is. " Jinx sat down on the hard ground and leaned forward.

"Now let's see, yesterday I did some reconnaissance." She took out a wrinkled map of the reservoir system broken into three parts, two of which were completely scribbled out in blue and pink sketches of buildings exploding.

She moved the metallic jaw of her rocket launcher. "What were you reconnaissancing?"

"Is that even a word? Whatever, yesterday." She twirled her finger in the air, "Fat hands and hat lady were riiiight here." She put her finger on the map, it landed on a large building sitting right next to the main canal.

"And I have that tingly feeling that they are going to be there again." She had heard their conversation from the ventilation shaft, that day was particularly boring but there is no better way to spice it up by stalking the two people that probably disliked more than most.

"So when I see them I'm going to make sure they see me." She jumped up, ready for the oncoming destruction. Making it to the end of the maintenance shaft she stepped through a clean hole in the wall that leads to an alley. 'This is going to be soooo fun!'

"So when am I cleared to leave?" Adam folded his hands on his lap, watching the nurse check his vitals.

"Probably this evening if you look fine." She finished checking his blood pressure and moved on to listening to his lungs.

"Breath in." He complied obediently.

"And out." This process repeated a couple of times before she put the stethoscope back into a metal container.

"Nothing is broken so you should be out of here pretty soon. The sheriff wanted to check with you one last time so after that, I will see you off later today." She moved out of the room and down the hallway, the click of her feet on the tile echoing off the walls.

Adam was left to himself again, for the past day he had just been recollecting his mind, going over events and drawing an emotional response from them. Yesterday he was allowed to use the restroom on his own and got a good look at his back in the mirror, there was nothing there, not even a scratch.

He felt off, something was wrong but he had no clue what it was. For what seemed like the hundredth time that day he shook his head and tried to figure out which gear in his mind was not turning in the right direction. The feeling was as if he was looking for a pencil on a table, yet the whole time it was behind his ear. It was infuriating because he knew it was right there.

"I need some air," He said aloud. Adam slid himself off the bed smoothly, the hospital had provided him with a pair of clean white clothes that resembled pajamas. He moved to the window and opened it up, breathing in the air of the city. Luckily Piltover was clean, there were multiple health regulations restricting the amount of waste and filters that stopped people from polluting, or at least polluting the air above.

He whistled to himself and stuck his head out the window, turning his body so he was facing towards the roof. The side of the hospital was made of tile, each floor having multiple windows for different rooms. He looked to the left and saw a pipe running to the top of the building, "This will work."

He reached one arm out and grabbed the pipe, "Heh, time for some exercise." Adam stepped up onto the window sill and kicked off, keeping a steady grip on the pipe and swinging around to latch onto it with his other hand. There was a large drop below but he didn't care, moving one hand over another he started climbing upwards.

If someone below on the street had looked up they would have seen a man white clothing scaling the side of the hospital at a rather fast speed.

"H-up, h-up" He pulled himself to the top and reached upwards to grip the edge of the building, hoisting himself up and over, rolling onto the cool stone. He stood up to look over the better vantage point of Piltover, from here he could see much further past the tops of buildings.

Multiple bridges spanned the canal, glass domes of labs peeked their way above the various structures, releasing steam in billowing clouds. The city had a certain feel to it that clearly radiated energy and light. Adam sat down and dangled his feet over the edge.

'Hmm, maybe that's it.' He had come to the conclusion that if any normal person wanted fresh air they would have just opened the window, not climb out of it and scale the entire thing. It was definitely not something he could see himself doing, besides the fact that he just did it. He tilted his head to the side to look at the world sideways, he had no problem performing the action so why worry about the consequence of failure.

"No failure, no worry. So there is something wrong, but it doesn't matter."

"I still don't think that this will lead to a dead end." Vi followed Cait once again into the hospital, climbing up the stairs leading to the floor the patient was on.

"It's the only lead we have, even if it is a small one. This is going to be the last time anyway before we start looking for patterns in events before and after the explosion along with other indirect evidence."

"Right now we should be spending time out there beating down on some criminals, why do we have to work on this." They made it to the fifth floor and turned down a hallway.

"This case is more interesting, the recruits can handle the basic criminals."

"I still want to bash in some faces," Vi said quietly, mumbling to herself.

At the top of the reservoir, a manhole cover was blown completely from its resting spot high up into the air and made a loud clang after falling onto the hard concrete, leaving a sizeable dent and crack in the concrete. A few people dashed away from the commotion and ran even faster after seeing the figure that climbed out. Jinx exited holding her trademark rocket launcher and minigun, a small box in her hand.

"Let's get this party started." She did a little dance and faced towards the cascading water. The damn was gushing a regulated amount of white water and down the canals of Piltover.

"Okay, we're here." They made it to one of the doors lined along the clean hallway. Caitlyn opened it and looked into the room.

"Oh no."

"What what is it." Vi moved in behind her. Adam was gone, the window of the room was open and the curtain blowing slowly in the light wind.

"He could just be in the bathroom."

"The attendant told me the door was locked from the outside and he was here when she left."

Jinx raised the box above her head.

"Three"

Adam looked from the top of the building, leaning forward to try and see what had caused the sudden burst of movement off in the distance. It looked like someone was waving at him a decent way up the canal, sitting at the top of a wall.

"Twoooooo"

"He could not have jumped out the window." Vi leaned out looking down at the ground multiple stories below.

"Although he wouldn't have survived."

"AAAAAND One." Jinx pressed the button on the top of the box laughing maniacally.

The sound wave resounded from the reservoir on the top of Piltover shaking the ground, creating a ripple from the explosion. The entire front of the reservoir collapsed outwards, releasing the wall of water.

"WOOOOOOO" she yelled as the wall she was standing on collapsed forward.

Adam's eyes widened, 'I don't think the dam is supposed to do that.'

Caitlyn steadied herself and looked to where the explosion had occurred, only to see the water start to rush towards them. "Vi get to the stairs."

"WHAT WAS THAT!?"

"Vi get to the stairs NOW!"

* * *

 **I want to know your opinions! I want to know the mistakes I make and what I can do to make this story the best it can be, .-. Suggestions are always welcome, I will also answer any questions if you want to ask them in a review or PM me.**


	16. Chapter 16

**My workload has been increasing recently, I promise to do as much as I can to post within 2 weeks though XD. Thanks for the continued reads and I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

The Alarm had already started blaring when they entered the hallway, Caitlyn moved quickly, pushing the door at the end of the hallway open and jumping through. Vi thundered behind her, jumping up two steps at a time. They continued up three stories before finally reaching a door that lead to the roof outside.

Caitlyn went through the situation in her head, 'The dam was coming completely down, creating a massive wave from the reservoir. The hospital won't be taking the blunt hit of it though, most of the water would just empty out into the river and towards the open ocean.' They exited out the door onto the roof of the building.

There was an amused whistle and they looked to the edge of the roof where they saw Adam. He was sitting with his legs dangling over the side.

"That sure is a lot of water." He turned his heads backward, looking at the surprised cops from an upside-down angle. "I am assuming that this is not normal."

Caitlyn temporarily ignored the impending wave, "How did you get up here?"

"I climbed of course." He said it as if it was obvious.

"Up the side of the hospital?"

"Mmmhm."

Vi glanced towards the wave, a figure catching her eye. She moved to the edge next to Adam who tilted his heads towards her in a carefree manner, then to where she was looking.

"Cupcake the situation just got worse."

"How could it have gotten wo-"

"Look" Vi pointed to the top of the wave.

Cait focused her attention on where Vi was pointing to the top of the wave. Her eyebrows furrowed when she saw who was on top of it. Jinx was standing on top of a concrete and wood surfboard, taped together and nailed awkwardly, it almost looked like something that had just been torn off the side of the dam.

Adam whistled, "Those, are some crazy moves." He nodded his head as if agreeing with himself, "Especially since that woman over there is carrying," he squinted,"A... Rocket launcher?" he got up, standing up and walking up next to Caitlyn and Vi. "At least she is taking advantage of the situation, having a little fun."

Caitlyn was already calling for their weapons along with an extra force of officers. She was gripping the radio close to her mouth and practically screaming into it.

"Block off all streets down the canal, I need a barricade up and fast."

Meanwhile, the enforcer stared incredulously at Adam, "A little fun? SHE'S THE ONE THAT BLEW UP THE .. WATER, RESIVOIR, THING" Vi threw her hands up in the air, he just stared at her, then back to the oncoming jinx, then back at Vi.

"So she's the bad guy?"

"YES"

"Then why didn't you just tell meeee" His voice slowly became quieter and was cut off when he re-entered the door to the hospital. Cait was still watching the Jinx, turning her head back to a somewhat flustered Vi.

"Where did he go?"

"Back into the hospital."

Vi made an audible groaning sound,

"We can't sit here and do nothing! I knew we should have brought our wea.." she stopped mid-sentence when a blur of motion passed in front of her face. She turned her head and watched almost as if in slow motion. "LETS GOOOOOOO" Adam was already airborne, mid-leap off the roof of the hospital. Under his arm looked like a plank of wood strapped to a metal sheet, where he had gotten the materials would still remain a mystery.

He had kicked off as hard as he could away from the building. If he had fallen straight down he would be met with the solid resistance of the brick sidewalk, a true adversary when paired with gravity.

The base of the wave had barely reached the position where he was going to land. As he fell Adam placed the makeshift surfboard under his feet. Caitlyn stood in shock as he hit the wave at an angle and bent his knees for the impact. Going at that speed he was barely able to keep his balance and teetered dangerously before becoming more comfortable with his position.

He started to ride it as it roared past buildings, breaking windows and dragging debris along with it. If he was actually doing this, and there was no stopping now, he was going to look badass while doing it. Adam was still a good distance away from Jinx. Slowly he was able to steady himself, finding a flow that wouldn't send him flying off into the concrete mess around him. Adam tried to angle his board sideways, sliding along the wave.

Slowly he was able to get closer as they flew past numerous buildings. He was higher up on the wave than Jinx was. She noticed him and grinned, raising a hand above her head, she had not expected someone to actually try and chase her on the wave, but it didn't matter.

"Hey surfer boy, CATCH." She bent her arm back and threw it towards him, Adam watched the grenade rotate towards him, the metal jaws at the top opening and closing with metallic clicks. He veered downwards and tilted forwards, shooting away from the explosive while making sure to duck and look down. He didn't need fresh shrapnel stabbing him in the back.

He made sure not to turn around as it detonated, the heat wave hitting his back. The force of it almost knocked him off and he swung his arms in circles before coming to a stop.

"Dang, that was close." He steadied himself and took the chance to look up, he was zooming towards Jinx much faster than he had originally intended. "Uh, oh"

He tried to slow down but it was already too late. They collided hard, both thrown sideways off the boards. They were engulfed by the wave, it swept over them as they flailed. Jinx kicked Adam in the face, pushing him away in the panic. They were still traveling sideways at a moderately fast pace and burst out of the side of the wall of water.

Adam hit a hard rock surface on his back, rolling sideways to come to a sliding stop on his stomach. He coughed and tentatively touched his chest, wincing at the sudden pain. He was not going to fully recover from this for a while.

"Definitely something, not in the best shape" He tried to stand and his vision blurred, head swimming as he leaned sideways. Taking in his surroundings he realized how lucky they were, a wide concrete walkway elevated above the normal canal had stopped their fall short. They would have made a real bloody mess if they had fallen the full way down. He straightened himself and looked up from the ground, surveying the area where they landed.

Using the handrail Adam turned around to see the prone figure of Jinx. He was able to shuffle slowly along and once he reached her fell onto his hands and knees.

"You alive?" He looked up, getting no response. He groaned as he reached a hand forward and touched her neck lightly. The beat that thrummed under his fingers relaxing him from most of his worries.

"Yea you're alive."

He let out a grunt and rolled on his back, looking up towards the warm sun already drying off his clothes.

"Sorry for the uh, unwanted landing,"Adam spoke out loud to the unconscious form of Jinx. He folded his hands on his chest and grinned up at the sky. "It's a damn beautiful day." The sound of sirens started getting closer and closer. He waited patiently drying off and enjoying the sun on his face.

The screech of a suddenly stopping car was heard, Jinx let out a small groan out of annoyance besides him. Adam's vision had become more focused and he watched the clouds roll overhead. At least now he wasn't seeing double.

There was the shutting of a car door, stomping footsteps lightly shook the ground.

"ARE YOU CRAZY?" Adam turned his head to see a somewhat disgruntled Vi, except this time she had huge gauntlets on her hands. 'Metal fists.' He humored himself at the thought, 'it fits her personality perfectly.'

"Still trying to answer that question myselffffff."

Caitlyn walked up behind her partner, balancing a long rifle on her shoulder.

"Well, one thing I can tell you is level headed people don't jump off buildings."

"Hey, in the end, it worked out." He made a half shrugging motion and closed his eyes. "Like I said, still trying to figure out how crazy I am, gotta test your own mental sanity sometimes."

Caitlyn tilted her hat forward, shading her eyes from the sun.

"You're not going to think about repercussions?" Adam smirked and let out a puff of air through his nose.

"I prefer not to delve too deeply into the future. Besides, the bad guy there." he pointed blindly towards the snoozing Jinx. "And we're still in one piece, so it all worked out."

Caitlyn rubbed her temple with a gloved hand, "The sheer amount of paperwork is already getting to me." Vi haphazardly slung Jinx over her shoulder, who groaned in return, mumbling nonexistent words. "I'm going to take this troublemaker over to the station." Vi started to march off back towards the car.

"Can you please come back to the station to answer some questions, you can get patched up there." Caitlyn directly addressed the relaxing form of Adam. He sat up, still dizzy from the initial crash, "Sure thing."

"Can you get up on your own?"

"Yeah, yeah, just.. Give me a sec." He shakily got on his knees and stood up, wobbling. Caitlyn turned her back and started walking towards the car. He had seen better times but was going to be fine for the ride.

'Let's try and finish this up as fast as possible.' Both her and Vi were on a short work leave from the League, and the summoners didn't like their champions gone for long. 'We have to bring HER with us,' Caitlyn looked up to Vi pushing the half-conscious form of Jinx into the back of the police car and pushing the rocket launcher into the truck. 'That's even more paperwork to do.' She was not looking forward to the near future. The bags under her eyes already felt heavy enough.

"Let's get this case wrapped up."

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 **A personal pet peeve that I get annoyed by is if there is little emotion attached to a story, or if the interaction is rushed. At the same time, I think I do it myself .-. Any and all criticism is appreciated no matter how small or large. Sorry, this chapter was somewhat short, I have been trying to get a lot done recently and writing this isn't on my mind all the time :P**

 **Thanks a lot for reading!**


	17. Chapter 17

Adam drew a finger over the bandage across his midsection as he clenched his teeth lightly. He moved back to resting his two hands folded on the table in front of him. The rest of the room was bland, a single reinforced door and one wall with a reinforced window. The door opened and Caitlyn entered, carrying a folder under her arm.

"Now this is a proper interrogation room," Adam said, relaxing his shoulders and smiling at the sheriff.

"Yes, it is." Caitlyn pulled out the chair and sat down on it, placing the folder on the table.

"What's this?" He reached for it, Caitlyn made no move to stop him from taking it, he opened it and started rifling through the few papers that were inside.

"It's everything we have on you, everything we have gathered and every interaction you have taken in Piltover thus far." She leaned forward somewhat in her chair and Adam glanced up from the papers to meet her steady gaze.

"May I ask, why did you jump off the building to chase Jinx?." Her expression didn't give away any hint of emotion.

"Because she, as Vi labeled, was the 'bad guy' and I wanted to finally do something fun." He had already read through most of the papers, all boring stuff. Nothing on him before Piltover, he wondered how long he was underground.

"I'm pretty sure you are one of the only people that would call jumping off a multi-story building and chasing down an extremely dangerous criminal, 'fun'" Adam just shrugged in response, "I think a very few police officers might also call that fun but I could be wrong, Vi seems like she might enjoy it in the right circumstances," Adam answered truthfully. Caitlyn sighed at how right he was. Adam was not so sure how to answer the questions that were doubting his sanity.

"When you said that you climbed the side of the hospital were you lying?" Caitlyn asked.

"Nope, I used a pipe along the wall, I just wanted some fresh air from that stuffy room." He scratched his head passively, dropping the folder back onto the tabletop.

"Do you realize what you are saying?" Cailyn tapped her fingers on the tabletop.

He looked directly into her eyes before answering, "Yes I do. Recently my emotions and mental state don't seem to be at their best. I don't see it as too much of a negative though." He tilted his head to the side. "Just because I am doing things that are reckless that does not mean what I'm doing is going to end terribly." He squinted his eyes, "and yes, I am enjoying myself."

"I wasn't going to ask that."

"Oh… whatever."

Caitlyn just stared at the oddjob case in front of her.

"Do you have a reason to be in Piltover, a goal?"

"Well.." He thought before answering the question, he knew the answer, he was just debating whether he should or shouldn't tell her.

"Yes. I did not originally intend to come to Piltover but because of recent, or maybe not, events, I am looking for something regardless of where it is. Although it is not an immediate goal it is a task I wish to complete soon."

"What would that be?" Caitlyn was intrigued by his response.

"Sheriff, am I currently under any charges that could get me arrested or on the wrong side of the law?" Adam crossed his arms across his chest.

"At this moment, I do not believe you are. Your hospital bill was provided due to the medical sanctions act, although we could try you for interfering with a police affair there really is no point."

"Ok." He had come to a decision.

"I am looking for a soul."

"What?"Caitlyn was not sure if she had heard him correctly.

"You know, a soul, the essence of a being," Adam said. She nodded slowly.

"And why might you be looking for a soul?"

"It's hard to explain, but I am sure if I could get one it would give you some more of the answers you are looking for." He absentmindedly twiddled his fingers.

"Does it have to be any in particular?"

"No, not at all. I am not sure if artificial souls exist, but that could also get me what I want… probably." He stated hesitantly.

"Can you give me a better reason as to why you would want a soul?" Caitlyn dropped the pen in her hand and leaned back a bit.

"Uhhhhh, it's hard to explain, it also makes me sound kind of crazy." He looked down, worried about how Caitlyn was going to respond.

There was a glint of humor in her eyes that never made it to the rest of her face, "After seeing what you have done I have already labeled you 'crazy,' maybe not Jinx crazy, but you might want to see someone yourself."

Adam let out a long sigh and leaned forward, thumping his head lightly on the table before sitting upright. "Well, here goes nothing."

* * *

Vi put down the screwdriver in her hand, letting it roll in a circle on the desk in front of her. She wiped her brow with the back of her hand and looked towards the clock in the corner of the small room. It had been two hours since Caitlyn had walked into that interrogation room. Vi looked at the gauntlet in front of her. Her improvised hextech gauntlets were a lot more complicated than people thought them to be, requiring regular tuning and maintenance so they didn't break down on the job. She had converted her office within the station into a mini workplace. Vi grumbled, there was nothing to do besides watch the time go by.

She stood up and left the office, heading towards the interrogation room. Quietly sliding into the listening room, behind the one-way glass. The only other person watching the "interrogation" was someone manning the cameras but it was probably just that officer Jones listening to music with a thumb up their ass.

Vi listened intently to the conversation in the room over. Caitlyn had taken off her hat had put it on the table, Adam was quiet, letting her write a few notes down on a pad of paper.

"I am pretty sure I know who that is but I would have to double check with them myself. Although I can not give you their information I can still tell you who did it." Caitlyn said, her voice coming through a small speaker separating the rooms.

"Yes that is fine, it's not too big of a deal just a bit curious," Adam replied, Caitlyn finished jotting down notes. She put down the book and gave herself time to think before speaking up again.

"I'm afraid we will not be able to talk again for the next few days, I have 'work' to attend to and so does Vi." Adam simply waved his hand in reply,

"Eh, it's fine. I will probably be out and about but I will make sure to be back when you are." Adam was somewhat concerned for his future but knew he could at least last a couple days.

"So you have a place of residence?" Caitlyn raised an eyebrow.

Adam looked sheepishly at the table, avoiding her gaze.

"No, but don't worry about it, I will be able to figure something out." He smiled and stretched his arms.

"Ok, if you're so sure." Caitlyn stood up and walked towards the door. "That is all the questions I have, thank you for sharing your story. It was very, interesting to say the least, it will be sent up the line a bit but I'm sure everything will be checked out."

Adam stood up and began to follow, "Think nothing of it sheriff, just trying to get info even if I have to share some."

"I will see you out at the station," Caitlyn said. Adam trailed behind going down the hallway. Back down the hallway Vi moved out of the side room and followed them, making sure to stay within earshot.

They stayed quiet until they reached the front of the station.

"Well then, thank you for your assistance in the capturing of Jinx and I hope to see you soon. We will be back during the weekend," Adam did not respond to the comment and shook her outstretched hand. Caitlyn tilted her hat forwards and started walking back the way she came. Vi ducked into a nearby room and waited until Caitlyn's footsteps became quiet.

Vi jogged to the front and came up behind Adam who had not moved from his position at the front.

"Hey wacko," Vi said. Adam turned and smiled. The nickname didn't really bother him at all.

"Mhm, what's up?" He stood with his hands in his pockets, now wearing casual dark shaded cloths and not the white hospital gown.

"Yeah, uh… thanks, I guess." She looked at the ground, almost nervous. "Jinx really gets on my nerves so I am glad you were able to catch her, even if it was a little insane how you did it."

Adam's smile only grew, "Glad I could be of assistance." There was an awkward pause and neither of them said anything, the air becoming thicker.

He assumed she was done and turned towards the exit, reaching for the door. "Well, see ya."

Vi spoke up, "Hey, um... Do you really have a place to stay, because I have a garage nearby that I won't be using for the next couple of days? It has a couch and a bathroom, it sure isn't fancy but it's better than nothing." She said a little hurriedly.

"Yeah I don't really have a place to stay, but I don't want to be too much of a hassle. I'm fine." He replied.

"Are you sure? It's nothing really, and you don't have anywhere to go. Just a small thanks for getting Jinx, she has been able to get past us every time we come across her and it's been really frustrating." She said.

Adam thought for a second, he was just going to find a place outside of Piltover but this option would let him find out more about the city. "Fine fine, lead the way, Miss Vi."

Vi opened the small door and stepped into the workshop. She flipped a switch on the wall and a couple of overhead fluorescent lights flickered on.

"This is where I do some maintenance and tinkering in my free time." She moved towards a desk and slid open one of the cabinets, taking out a notebook and tucking it under her arm. "You can crash on the couch, the bathroom is right there," she pointed towards a door adjacent to the room.

"There is really nothing here to steal at the moment, just make sure it's locked if you leave and don't trash the place." She ran her hand over a recently done wall that had been blown down by one of her gauntlets 'modification.'

"You good?" She asked. Adam stood in the doorway, looking around the room quietly.

"Yes this is fine, thank you again."

"No problem, just don't ruin this place. Just because it is my house does not mean I don't care about it." She tossed him a key and he caught it in one hand, stowing it away in his pocket.

"Sure thing, again thanks."

"Well, Cait and I are leaving early in the morning so see you soon I guess." Adam stepped into the room and slumped down on the couch. Vi moved back towards the door.

"Try not to break anything, I've already had to rebuild this place twice." Adam just nodded his head and closed his eyes.

"Seeya," Adam said. Vi closed the door and walked towards the direction of home. The garage she had been able to buy cheap but it was a few minutes walk away from the place she normally stayed.

"What a weird day."


	18. Chapter 18

Plink….. plink….. plink….. plink….

'Hmm, I wonder how long it has been since I moved.' The water slowly fell from the leaky faucet. 'Is this how people go insane? Maybe, or maybe I am already insane.' Adam wanted to open his eyes but did not find the energy to do so. He knew it had at least been a day since he had laid down on that couch, it was just so…. Goooooooood. He had stopped counting the years past 100 while in that forest, and this was the first cushioned thing besides that hospital bed he was sleeping in. 'They said they would be back on the weekend, but I don't know if that's three days, or four. Or maybe it was two… hmm if I'm lucky the garage will catch on fire and I will have the courage to do something.'

Nothing moved, 'hhhhnnnnghhhhh' He pressed his eyes together harder, maybe even muster the strength to open them. 'Heh, nope, just a couple more hours.'

His mind dimmed and he fell back asleep, completely oblivious to anything happening in the outside world. Just as he liked it.

* * *

Adam's finger twitched, a single eyelid lazily popped open and scanned the room, it was still devoid of anyone else. He closed the eye again and clenched his fist.

'It's probably for the best if I just stayed in here, besides, it's not like I need anything.' The movement of his sore muscles sent small sparks of pain shooting through his limbs.

"Cmon, up, up," He said as if willing his body to move on its own. Adam let out a large yawn and sat upright, he had a thin blanket draped over him.

"This couch sure as hell beats straw… or dirt… or any other thing I have ever slept on."

He walked over to the bathroom and watched the water drip, sliding down the slightly rusted sink into the drain. Adam turned back around and walked over to the single desk next to the wall, flicking on the small lamp. The desk was empty, he slid open the top shelf. There was a clean stack of white paper left untouched next to a few dull pencils.

He closed the cabinet and opened the one below it, this time it was filled with schematics. Adam reached for the papers and removed them, moving back to the couch. He was not sure what was on the first one, Adam had never seen a diagram like this one before. It was a rectangular cylinder with a hinge sticking out of one end.

He flipped it over to read the text on one side. "Hyperextending steam piston. Weird." He moved it to the back of the stack and kept looking. "Yada yada, hextech something, uhhhhh." Every one of the diagrams was a complex sketch of a part or building material. "Jeez, didn't know some of this stuff could be so complicated." Adam moved back to the desk and tucked away the papers.

"Aaaaaaand I go." Without warning he flipped off the light and exited the door, locking it behind him and moving towards the main road. It was already evening, the sun casting its last rays over the City of Progress. It was a peaceful setting, not many people bothered to walk the streets. He looked around the street, 'this place is so huge.' A man strolling down the sidewalk caught his attention.

"Hey you," Adam said. The man looked towards him with a small frown on his lips.

"I just have a question, what day is it?" The man looked a little startled but composed himself,

"Friday." He answered quickly, not wanting anything to do with the strange man.

"Thanks," Adam replied, taking one last look at his surroundings before turning around back towards Vi's mini-workshop. 'Dang, I must have really slept a lot for it to be Friday. That's all the human interaction I am going to have… hah, goodbye outside world' If he could sleep like this for days on end he would, too bad people knew he existed.

Adam re-entered the small space and belly flopped onto the couch. he didn't feel particularly hungry or need for anything. 'Sleeping sounds like a good idea, I can't make my lazy self get up anyways.' Snores quickly filled the room, his boredom fueling the slumber.

* * *

The pounding on the door shook Adam awake, he moved a hand to his head and sat up. "Flippin, people, noisy, mmmphmm." He mumbled moving towards the door. It swung open to reveal Vi, She had both of her gauntlets on, one hand rested at her side and the other had a single finger poised to knock again."Ugh, hi." He said moving back into the room, his mind still only half functioning.

"Were you just asleep?" Vi asked, Adam sat down on the couch and slouched.

"That's pretty much all I've been doing,"He lazily smiled and moved out of the doorway. Vi closed the door and flipped on the overhead light, brightening the gloomy room. 'Surprised she can do anything beside punching holes with those giant gauntlets on.' He thought to himself.

"How do you sleep for four days straight?" Vi asked,

"I-dunno, boredom?" Adam moved a hand in front of his eyes to shield the light.

"Have you done anything?" She put her gauntlets on her waist. "At all?"

"Uhhhhhhhh, no." He glanced to the side and groaned.

"Damn, you are hitting laziness levels that rivaling me when I have paperwork to do. Well fun's over, time to get up. Caitlyn wants to see you back at the station." Vi motioned for them to leave.

"But it's so earlyyyy." Adam complained.

"It's six P.M." She sated. Adam slowly stood up with a small crack in his knees. His face showed no emotion.

"Damn… I really have a problem," a small smile cracked his face.

"Whats up Sheriff." Adam plopped down in the chair, he was tempted to rest his feet on the desk but resisted out of courtesy. "And don't say the sky, cause I can't stand bad jokes."

Caitlyn was sitting across from him, she was looking down at the space in front of her with a blank expression, deep in thought. The sheriff had a small frown on her face and almost looked sick. "Uhhhh you ok?" Adam asked, she shook her head and gave a small hesitant smile.

"Fine, fine, just had a rather interesting experience." Caitlyn shivered and mumbled under her breath, "Thresh, Fiddlesticks, and Nocturne on the same team."

"What? I didn't hear half of what you said." He blinked a couple of times.

"Nothing nothing, back to business." She pulled out a cylindrical case from under her desk and placed it in front of her. "This is a soul provided to us by the league." Adam whistled, "Dang… I did not think you would actually be able to get one, what kind of crazy bet did you have to do to get that?"

Caitlyn shrugged, "Nothing too bad, the soul was provided courtesy of Thresh the Chain Warden, he said that If I needed a soul he could give me one, except he also said that he would very much like to see what kind of messed up reason I would need for one. He gave it with the intent that whatever it was going to create would not be very nice." Caitlyn eyed him. Adam just nodded casually. Her mind was reeling on the inside, what in the world was she doing, giving a fucking black market item to a total stranger? Calm down, calm down, slow breathes. They needed info, this man was a damn ghost to them, and if they could get any sort of info or place of origin, this was supposed to help.

"The soul chamber, on the other hand, was from Heimer, I just have to give it back one I am done." Adam just bobbed his head, waiting for what she was going to say next. "And I just have to give the report on what you do back to Thresh, apparently he has tons of souls, although he hates to give them away he was still intrigued."

"This is all you need correct?" Caitlyn asked.

"Yessir, I mean ma'am." Adam grinned.

"Great, we are going to put you in an underground bunker that is able to contain extreme magic spells, which includes Ziggs largest hextech crafted bomb," Caitlyn stated.

"What's a Ziggs?"

"A hexplosive 'expert' or maniac if you would ask the majority of the people working in the League, very dangerous yordle that has a knack for things that go boom." Caitlyn stood up, bringing the container with her.

"This test is not only to further the investigation but we are also very very curious on why a man like you would want a soul." Caitlyn's intense stare made Adam slightly uncomfortable.

"Well, your question will be answered m'lady, I assure you the protection probably most likely won't be needed."

"Wow, Cait when was this thing put in?" The large platform descended down the shaft, deep into Piltover near the outskirts, the further away from the populated city the better.

"This was made a long time ago, the original founder of the weapons factory asked for it's construction, it approved but only if government services were allowed to use it too," Caitlyn said. "They would rather have a safe environment for this type of experiment instead of in less protected labs."

Vi just waited and counted how long they had been descending, it was well past a minute. Adam had stayed quiet for their time getting to the complex, 'What is the demon going to do? Is he going to do anything at all? Is he dead, am I too late to get him a soul? Aaagh, screw it never hurt to try.'

The elevator stopped and the door in front of them slid open, Adam was relatively new to all of the technology he was seeing as they walked down a concrete corridor with small lights every couple of feet. They reached the end where there were two doors. One looked like a vault door that reached up to the ceiling and had a rotating lock, the other was a smaller reinforced one leading to the right.

Caitlyn pointed forward to the vault door,"You will be in there." She then pointed to the smaller one, "We will be in here to watch, there is multiple feet of bulletproof glass so you shouldn't have to worry about us. Also a reminder that this is magically nullified" She lifted up the container, Adam reached for the handle on the top and grabbed it, the container was surprisingly light for its size.

"Wait for the light in the room to turn green, then the container should unlock if you turn it clockwise and pull." Caitlyn pressed a button along the wall.

"Vi if you may," She raised her hands towards the large vault. Vi reached up with her gauntlets and pulled down on the rotating lock, it started to spin slowly. The piston hinges running along the side of the door retracted and the door swung open leading into a large concrete room. Without warning, Adam hopped over the small incline and moved into the room. "Sorry if this such a hassle, I promise you to try and not fuck up too badly." Adam stepped further into the room.

"Also Cait regardless of what you see, no matter what happens don't let me out unless I knock on the glass, and you deem it safe." This was the one time he would at least be a little bit serious. The sheriff nodded at him. He turned around and watched the door close with Caitlyn and Vi behind it, emitting a large hiss signaling it was fully shut.

Adam looked down and kicked his feet on the ground, kicking up black dust that had been collected there. The room was mostly empty, a few dim lights ran down the chamber. He moved forward until he was relatively in the middle. Adam raised his head to look at the corner of the room where a single red light was blinking.

Adam watched it, on, off, on, off. There was a metallic click like a coin had just been dropped from the ceiling and the light turned to a green.

'Here goes nothing.' He kneeled on the ground and laid the container sideways. 'Turn clockwise and pull.' The circular container hissed and he pulled upwards, the handle came off leaving the open cylinder. Inside emitted a dim green light, it was a shade of dark lime. Adam peered into it, watching a low mist swirl at the bottom. 'Maybe this is what a true soul looks like. It is strange though, I have never seen one in this state.'

Adam grabbed both sides of the cylinder and lifted it upwards so it was above his head. He looked up, closing his eyes. 'Well, I see no better way to do it. Demon, here's what you asked for, let's hope your still there.' The container was flipped, Adam saw the eternal green light glowing dimly even when he had his eyes closed. It felt cold on his face, icy against his skin but it wasn't unpleasant. He waited, letting it fall. This was the moment of truth, this would suck if nothing happened but this was his best shot.

There was a swelling sensation in his chest and the green light behind his eyes flickered and disappeared. Adam took a sharp inhale and dropped the container, it clanged and rolled to the side. He fell on his hands and clenched his eyes tightly, coughing towards the ground.

'Heh, hi' The voice rang out in Adam's head and he smiled balling his hands into fists.

'Took you long enough.' The demon said.

'Yea well I was did it as fast as I could, didn't expect you just to pop up like that. I'm not actually sure what I expected at all,' Adam replied.

The demon did not wait for more detail before speaking again, 'Uh, it's great to be back and all, but the sigils and enchantments that I had put on you before are about to hit really fucking hard, they faded along with myself but now that I am back they are going to rebound pretty quickly.' Adam winced, a fire started to burn in his chest.

'That's not good, can you do anything about it?' He tensed, waiting for the oncoming effects. 'Yes, and I am about to, trust me you won't want to feel this. Knocking you out in three.'

'Wait what,'

'Two'

'Hold up, why?'

'One.'

'Ugh, don' screw up.'

'Mk, Zero.' Adam slumped forward and his unconscious body sprawled out on the floor. The demon was still awake, he let out an inward sigh and almost felt remorse for his host. If he had not knocked Adam unconscious he would have felt the energy coursing through his body. He was going to have to carve a small sigil into his flesh, and was glad Adam wasn't going to wake to the literal feeling of his blood boiling,

'I'm sorry.'

* * *

 _The brothers were both on separate cots, one above the other in a rickety bunk bed. The shack that they slept in was not the most comfortable but it was still all they could afford that was close to work._

" _What are you thinking about?" The younger one spoke up._

" _The only thing I can think about, the future," Adam said._

" _Why not think about the past?"_

" _Because I know the future will be better, it has to be." The bed creaked as the younger one switched positions._

" _Mm, it's not that bad, where can go wherever and do whatever, we are just under the constraints of living. Once were strong enough we should go build a cabin in the woods and live there, to escape from it all." The younger one brought up the picture in his mind, smiling._

" _Yeah… maybe, somewhere in Ionia I heard that they are very accepting there."_

" _Didn't we come from Ionia?"_

" _I think mom was, but I am not sure anymore, that was so long ago." The older one said._

" _Mmmm, one day."_

" _Yes, maybe one day."_

* * *

'Sleep well?' Adam groaned, the demon spoke out in his head. Then the pain hit him, his back felt like it was on fire, burning up. He tried to sit up but it was hard for him to move, he was only able to shuffle himself. The sensation calmed down but still left a vibrant stinging.

'I feel like shit.'

'Yeah, sorry about that, I kinda had to keep you alive. Don't worry you will be able to stand soon but you might feel a little bit sore for the next couple of hours.' The demon was somewhat happy with the results, it had been done with the least amount of mayhem.

'Wait how long was I out for… what happened?' There was a constant stinging sensation under his skin like he was being lightly pricked with needles everywhere at once.

'You were only unconscious for a few minutes and during that time I was just making sure the proper sigils and incantations didn't kill you. It all worked out so nothing to worry about.' The demon sounded happy about this. 'By the way, that soul charge you provided was pretty substantial how did you get it?'

'Friends.' The pain in his back started to ease towards a dull throb and he relaxed his muscles, breathing slowly.

'Ugh what did you do?' Adam asked, he tried to move again and was able to lift his head an inch off the ground before letting it rest.

'Wellll, while you're warming up might as well chat. So I created a mark on your back that became a power inhibitor so you wouldn't self-implode.' The demon said.

'ok... good'

'Then if you remember back to when you were stuck underground I used your blood as a power exhibitor so you could get out.'

'Ok yeah, I remember some of that.'

'Then I infused myself more within you to get the power in the first place, and after a quick check my suspicions were correct.'

'Which suspicions?'

'Your blood is now tainted by my magic.' If the demon could have he would have a huge grin plastered across his face, 'Wait, what?' Adam felt a little uncomfortable.

'Sooo what does that mean?'

'You're not dead, I'm not dead, and now I have a better grasp of my power.' The demon said, 'you can probably move now.'

Adam immediately opened his eyes, he was lying face down on the concrete floor, he moved his hands under and pushed up, lifting himself up into a sitting position.

"Well, at least the unpleasant part is over."

'Mhm, where are we exactly?' The demon asked.

"In a giant vault underground, it was just a small precaution to make sure you didn't go off and do something insane," Adam spoke out loud.

'Ahh ok.' The demon understood.

He brought his hands close to his face to look at them. A blacking resh substance hung off of his arm. He touched it tentatively, "Is this blood?"

'Yes it is, but it's OUR blood, so I can do this with it.' The liquid along his arm started to move across his arm and Adam let out a small yelp. It felt warm against his skin as if just removed from a live body.

'How are you doing that?' He thought.

'Oh it's simple really this liquid is our blood, I control parts of it and it also keeps you going.' The substance moved up his arm around his shoulders and to his other wrist. On this side, the same markings were there.

'Just think of all the implications, now I can really help you if you need it.' The demon was giddy with excitement.

"Is this all of the uh.. blood substance stuff you can use?"

'Ohh no, this isn't even close, I can just do this.' There was a tiny bit of pain and the liquid started to come from a small slit in his wrist, he tried to shake it off but it stuck there. It stopped and formed a ball that was smooth and warm to the touch.

"Interesting." He didn't mind the feel as much now that he knew it wasn't some weird residue. It started to flow back into his wrist, once it reached the cut it looked like it was sinking into his skin and disappearing from sight. He shook his hand off and stood up. "I feel like I am never going to get used to that, it's a little ick."

'Nahh you will.'

'So this stuff is what you used to create an explosion?' Adam asked, 'Oh yeah, I just hardened individual parts and rubbed it against itself to create a large amount of heat then just blew it outwards. Making sure that it was pointed well away from us.' Adam just sat there, turning his hand in front of his face. 'For this level of crazy, I seem to be taking it pretty well.'

"We should head out now, don't want to keep the others waiting," Adam said aloud.

'Ok I am excited to see your "friends" .' Adam sighed, 'Better now than ever.' He started to move towards the glass window still a little bit stiff, he raised a hand and knocked on the smooth surface. The sound echoed in the open room. The vault door started to hiss a couple seconds later and Adam moved in front of it. Caitlyn and Vi were met by a pair of glowing red eyes.

"So, nothing blew up I would call that a success." He raised his hands and bowed. "My other friend says hi."

* * *

 **Sorry if the first part of the chapter felt boring… that's how it's supposed to feel :3. This one is a bit longer than my other ones, I spent more time editing it but there are probably some mistakes that passed by. Reviews are very much appreciated, Thanks for reading!**


	19. Chapter 19

**Sorry about the somewhat late update (although I am still staying within my update schedule) Break has had me working on some cool projects and I am able to spend my down time writing this. Well not much to say here, enjoy!**

* * *

"Your other friend?" Caitlyn asked slowly enunciating "other". Vi was a little bugged by the new appearance of Adam's eyes.

"Mhm he's right here." Adam pointed to the side of his head and smiled.

"Yup, look at what we did Cait, we broke him, he's officially fucked," Vi stated. "I think we have to let him go." She nodded her head mimicking sadness.

"Nononono I am not THAT crazy." Adam his hand in the air. "Watch I will prove it to you." Adam raised a hand palm up. 'Hey Demon, now is your chance to get acquainted.'

'mmm Ok how about this.' A small trickle of the grey-black liquid started to flow from his skin, manifesting itself in the dim light above his wrist. Caitlyn noticed the strange fluid, almost taking a step back instinctively. The dark red liquid made it to the center of his palm and pooled there. The middle started to rise up and it created a small set of 3D words, "Hi."

"What is that?" Vi was a bit revolted by the stuff, it looked like it was straight out of some horror flick.

"It's him," Adam replied. The liquid fell into his palm and rested there.

"You didn't have that before." Caitlyn motioned to the viscous substance, still wriggling with a life of its own. "Or those." She stared into his slightly illuminated eyes.

"Oh, that's him too." There was a glint in his eyes and his grin seemed to widen even further. "Try not to overthink it too much, he's not as complicated as he seems." Adam tilted his head to the left, "Now what?"

Caitlyn justed watched at him through slim eyes, her trust had waned after seeing the slightly disturbing changes. He had spent the majority of the time in the room looking unconscious.

"You don't find these changes abnormal at all?" She asked.

"Nope."

"Well then… Ok, we just need one LAST round of questioning, standard procedure and case can be closed." She said with a hint of tiredness, Vi patted her lightly on the back.

"Cupcake after this we should go get a bite to eat at your favorite place."

"Vi now is not the time."

"Pshh it's Friday, and it is pretty much the weekend! It's a time where we have an excuse to not do work." Caitlyn rolled her eyes at her partner's remark and after one last glance at Adam turned around.

"I will call the car over." She reached for the phone in her pocket. Piltover always had the best.

"If you would like me to get us there faster I could be of assistance," Adam spoke up and Cait stopped.

"How?" She halted her march down the hallway. "Like this." Adam popped out and into existence between the two cops with his arms around their shoulders. He projected a mental image of the police station and how far it was from where they were.

'And away we go.'

'Ok.'

Soon they disappeared from the deep underground structure and popped out of nowhere in front of the police station. Adam let go of the two and clapped his hands together, stepping forwards to open the door.

"Ladies first." He stood there waiting to hold the door open. Both Caitlyn and Vi stood there stunned at the sudden change of scenery. ".. what the." Vi looked behind them to make sure they were where she thought they were.

"Ugh, fine if you don't want to enter I will go myself." He stepped into the station and let the door close behind him.

"Uhhhhhhhhhhhh Cait?"

"Let's just… go inside." She adjusted her hat and hurriedly moved through the door a little shaken from the quick teleportation. She had experienced it before plenty of times on the rift but that was so sudden and out of nowhere. She shook her head and moved to follow Adam into the compound, there was a lot more that they had now known about this man. It was no use contemplating the past if you can't accept the present.

* * *

"I hate having to run this office job, why does it have to be included with the punching." Vi sat next to Caitlyn who was asking the questions, she had to write them down.

"Do you or… whatever it is know what the black object is?"

"I think..." Adam picked at his ear and stared at the ceiling. "Magic tainted blood? But don't be too sure of it, still working out some of my own questions." Adam squirmed in his chair, he wanted to run outside, do anything. He tapped his thumb and pointer finger, waiting.

"Well at least you 'friend' was able to fill up some of the holes in your story, it helps explain how you were able to pass between Demacia and Targon multiple times in one night, and you provided proof." Vi was doodling in the notepad, drawing cracks in a crumbling wall where a guy's skull was being smashed in. She didn't have any color to draw it in, but that's where the painter in her really shines you know, gotta, get those details going.

"Oh I have a question," Adam said, sitting upright.

"Ok shoot." Caitlyn raised her eyebrows.

"Didn't you say you could figure out who the kind lady was that decided to impale me with a poisoned tip crossbow bolt?" He leaned forward and the chair clunked on all four legs. There was a small glint in his eyes. His focused seemed to come back after the topic was changed.

"Yes," Caitlyn said quickly.

"Well, did you?"

"Yes."

"Would you mind indulging me who would be so kind as to carry out the act?" Adam had one hand over the other, tapping his index finger.

"That would be the woman named Shauna Vayne, one of the only night hunters in Demacia. She has some VERY strong feelings towards the unknown, supposedly evil, and undead." Caitlyn said. Vi started to fill in some shading on her rough sketch.

"Since you have your whole, read eye thing going and I am assuming they had a better reason then just looks to try and murder you, that is probably the reason. They keep it pretty tight in Demacia, especially the Night Hunter." Caitlyn re-aligned the papers against the table and set them down before continuing.

"We are considering your 'friend' a separate entity so if there is any name he, or you, would like them to go by you should tell us now." Adam listened carefully and thought for a second, watching the ceiling. 'Hmm a name, you always said that you never had one.' He thought. 'Eh, never needed one, still, don't.' The demon replied.

"I guess you can just call him the demon or my 'friend.' Or just refer to him as me, we are basically the same person," Adam said, "I don't have a name for him and he does not have a name for himself. Do you any other urgent things to say, because the time is ticking and that direction," he pointed towards the door, "that big open space looks pretty inviting especially when I am feeling antsy." Adam was visibly squirming in his seat.

Caitlyn crossed her arms and sighed. With their job at the Institute of War they and more than enough combat experience when facing the criminals of Piltover. The problem was that they were dwindling, not that it was a bad thing, it just left them without a case every now and them.

'It's fine it's fine, down time never hurt anyone especially someone like Vi.' She glanced quickly up at her partner who had her tongue sticking out and head tilted to the side. Damn, she looked cute in that pose.

"I didn't know you were an artist, Vi." Vi withdrew the pencil from the paper but did not move her head. "You caught me, how much will it go for at an art show." She turned around the rough sketch and Adam visibly scrunched his face at the crude depiction of the beaten up man. "Heh, that almost looks like m-," "Yes you are free to go Adam." Caitlyn quickly cut him off, he shrugged.

"Great where was that place you said you were going for dinner? I might come to join you for a drink after running a short errand." Adam stood up with a visible hop in his step.

"Oh it's just down the street then take the first right then two lefts and you will be right there, it is pretty hard to miss." Vi said, "Wait, you can afford to go there and eat?"

Adam pursed his lips, "Yeah more or less." His face broke into a grin, "I just need to grab something, you guys gonna head there now?"

"Maybe in an hour or two, I need to get Cupcake out and about." Vi pointed to Cait, Adam took a close look at her face and noticed she looked significantly more tired than he had previously noticed. "Ok, well see you then, I can see myself out." He passed through the door and let it close before he disappeared with a small whoosh.

Caitlyn was deep in thought, the strange man exited without being noticed. The crime drop had made her job better and worse. Recently they had been cracking down on the root of the problem and getting rid of many of the gangs littering Piltover. Along with the recent enlistment of some well-rounded recruits into the police force, many of the less important tasks were being finished much faster than usual.

"Cmon Cupcake let's go." Vi stood up and opened the door, looking at Caitlyn expectantly.

"Coming."

* * *

The sun had already set over Demacia, the normally busy streets just as noisy when Adam was there.

'Let's see, she was right about.' He stood atop the short building that Vayne had so rudely shot him from. Well, shooting someone might not have been considered rude but there had been malice behind it, eh, maybe it was for a good reason.

'Here.' He crouched down, the position would have offered a good vantage of the road without being seen. The sun would have also been to her back so there wouldn't have been any glare.

'She had used a poison tip bolt to take us down, whatever was on that thing knocked you out pretty much instantly.' The demon said. 'Okay let's see, we're looking for a night hunter that is somewhat renown. She is not too shabby either to have shot me from that far away.'

"Well what better way to get information than look for it yourself," Adam said aloud.

'Off we go.' The air blew across the empty roof.

* * *

Adam found himself resting in a familiar tree, the scene brought on a slight sense of Nostalgia. The only difference being that the seasoned had passed, green leaves were fading to their oranges and reds. He was in front of the Crownguard mansion, except this time the street was much brighter than it had been before.

He started to trot down the cobblestones past the various noble houses. "Vayne, Vayne, Vayne, mmmmm no, no, no, not that one, no, uhhh no, aaand here we are. Would you look at that, it's the creepiest looking house on the street." Adam stood in front of one of the smaller structures. It was unlit and gave off an ominous vibe that made him shiver. The name plaque at the front was engraved on a small pillar next to the fence. It was tucked away from the others like it didn't want to be noticed.

"Might as well make this quick, wouldn't want the others waiting on me." Adam materialized inside of the house in a small room. He tried to take in his surroundings, there was a bookshelf against one wall and a small desk on another. On one of the lower shelves, there was a rather strange assortment of vials near the desk.

He turned and found what he was looking for, there was a cloak on a hanger near the door. Adam took a step forward. The floor made a soft creak and he stopped. 'Oh shit.' The thought ran quickly through his head, 'Be quiet!' The demon hissed. He lowered his foot slowly and tried shuffling forward. There was some quiet scuffling and creaking as he made his way to the hanger.

Once he made it to the red cloak he checked for pockets on the side, running his hands over the fabric. 'Here we go.' Adam thought. 'Why did we need to do this again.' The demon asked. His hand fell onto a small object and slowly Adam reached into the pocket and extracted the small coin purse. He had also felt a small vial, probably the poison, eh, unimportant at this point. He was just here for a little bit of money and payback for the life-threatening situation. The coins jingled as he secured them in his palm.

The door in front of him started to open. 'go GO GO GO GO GO!'

* * *

Vayne stepped into the room, sweeping the door open. She had heard small noises coming from her study. The crossbow moved from left to right, scanning the entire room. Once she realized that nothing was there she lowered it, giving a small sigh. 'Probably just a blind mouse bumping into things.' She couldn't feel anything, her hairs had gone up like a sixth sense but she felt nothing in this room. Vayne exited the study, deep bags hung from her eyes as she walked back to her bed. She was still half asleep as she slumped down into the cushions, face buried deep into the pillows. 'Hmm, weird.'

* * *

Adam tucked away the coin purse in his own pocket, standing on the highest point of Demacia. He clung onto the spire that sat on the top of the dome of the Kings Hall. His arms were stretched outwards and he swung around the top, wind whipping at his face.

"Hahahah woooooo" He tilted his chin upwards and was mesmerized by the world expanding in front of him.

"AND I STILL FEEL ALIIIIIVE" He screamed across the stretching land below him. It was a beautiful sight to behold, the white marble and chilly wind, but a pleasantly warm atmosphere.

'Hey, Demon,'

'Yea?'

'You really aren't that bad.'

'... ok? Thanks, I guess….. That came out of nowhere,

'Meh, it needed to be said.'

The Demon stayed quiet after that.

Adam crouched down then jumped forward, missing the edge of the roof he started to plummet down. The night covered his descent and he fell at an increasing speed. He let out another enthusiastic whoop.

He was already gone before he hit the ground.


	20. Chapter 20

**Finals are coming... yaaayyyy. (Can't wake up)**

 **Well here is the next chapter, thank you to those giving me continuous support. All the motivation helps :) I will try to stretch for a little longer chapters but I also have less time to work on them right now ;-; Anyways hope you enjoy!**

* * *

There was the ringing of a small bell as Adam stuck his head through the cracked open door. He scanned the small restaurant.

'I wonder if I missed the place.' He entered and looked around the room. A couple people sat along the smooth wood bar, drinks in hand while others sat at individual tables and stalls. Some gave him a few sideways glances but none seemed too interested in the strange man.

An attendant wearing a simple white and black clothes walked up to him.

"Hi how many are in your party?"

"Uhhhhhhh…. I'm looking for Caitlyn and Vi?" His hands twitched and he tried looking around for them.

"Oh great sir, if you could come with me right this way. They did say that there might be someone else coming to join them." Adam followed the attendant past the bar towards one of the back stalls in the enclosed restaurant. He had never actually been in a proper restaurant, maybe a tavern once a long long time ago... before the incident. Now that he thought about it he really didn't have much experience in this world, he might have seen massive structures and rundown houses, but he didn't know… anything.

The place gave off a pleasant feeling, it was clean and not too loud.

Until he reached the table where the police sat. Vi's laugh was heard around the entire settlement, making a few patrons grumble. As the table came into view around the corner Adam raised an eyebrow.

"Vi quiet down, don't disturb the others." Caitlyn scolded her. Vi had her head down and was banging on the table. Along with the two cops, there were two others at the table. Both were male, one looked much younger than the other maybe even a teenager while the older one was more built.

Caitlyn looked up from a cup filled with a strange purple liquid to look at Adam.

"Hi Adam, I honestly didn't expect you to come." He nodded and grinned in response. Vi's laughter died down and she lifted her head off the table.

"Sup, this is my bud Jayce and that's Ezreal," she first motioned to the larger one who waved in reply and then to the younger one who just smiled back. "Hi." He reached forward to shake hands with Jayce who returned the gesture. Jayce's grip was strong, stronger than what Adam would have expected.

"So what brings you to Piltover Adam." Jayce leaned back in his chair and relaxed.

"Oh, just sightseeing, some jobs, nothing much really." Adam sat down in the stall next to Ezreal. Vi snickered, she had to be at least somewhat intoxicated.

"You don't look too average, the people of Piltover usually stray away from foreigners."

"I make things work," Adam replied, smiling.

"If you would call surfing through Piltover chasing a crazed gun maniac, 'sightseeing' I wonder what you do when you're on vacation." She took another gulp of beer and let out a satisfied sigh.

"Wait that was you?" Ezreal sounded baffled.

"Mhm." Adam acted casual.

"Wait, Vi, this is him?"

"Yup." Vi stated.

"I honestly expected you to be like… I don't know, taller or something." Adam smiled and chuckled. "I don't know man, you don't need to be tall to chase people." Ezreal just looked at him pensively.

"Still, catching Jinx is no easy feat. Even these two have a hard time doing it."

"HEY" Vi shouted.

"Sorry sorry." He raised his hands in front of his face as if he was expecting a punch to come flying towards him. Adam smiled, these four had a pretty good relationship. It must be nice to talk to people like this often.

'Adam.'

'What is it Demon?'

'...nevermind, it's nothing enjoy yourself.' The voice faded in his head.

'Hmm, strange he's been quiet lately.'

'No I am just thinking.'

'Ok.'

"Those are some rather vibrant eyes." Ezreal pointed towards Adam.

"What these?" Adam looked directly at Ezreal, pulling him in with his gaze.

"Yeah, this is part of the reason I have netted some trouble in Demacia, people these days are so worried about dangerous looking people, but that's now what makes them," red flashed around his pupils, "special."

"Wait.. what?" Ezreal said Caitlyn glanced back and forth between the two. She knew how much Ezreal liked to explore things unknown. If it went too far she could put an end to it quickly.

"It's how you know he is still in there."

"Who? Because glowing eyes is usually a sign of magically gifted people, or something non-human." Ezreal was now entranced by the glowing eyes as if they were pulling him in, his goggles hanging loosely from his neck.

"My other friend." Adam made the same knocking motion on the side of his head. "He's here."

"Wait, Vi, so he really is crazy?" Ezreal asked. Vi nodded and giggled.

"NO mmMMmmm, he's here, but he's not talking right now." Adam was very open about all of this, he personally didn't care that these people knew.

"Alright, then I think it is time to order some food." Caitlyn stopped the conversation from moving further. Jayce sat more upright. "That's a good idea." He handed a sheet of paper to Adam.

"What is this."

"It's a menu Adam," Caitlyn answered.

Vi snickered again, face flushed.

"Oh, so I just see what I want and ask for it?"

"Yes, Adam." Vi's shouldered moved up and down more, trying to hold back her laughter.

"What, I've never been in a place like this before." Adam pouted a little and read down the list.

"... what's a burger?" Vi had to put a hand over her mouth to suppress her laughter. 'Man she is really out of it.' Adam thought.

"Please tell me you are making a joke," Ezreal said.

"Nope, I genuinely have no clue what half of these things are... Any of them in fact beside some of the alcohol, and water."

"Ooook, well a burger is a slice of meat between two pieces of bread, that can sometimes have some cheese or greens in between."

"Like a sandwich?"

"Yes Adam like a sandwich, except cooked." Caitlyn had to hide her smile. Adam reached into his pocket and took out Vayne's small coin purse.

"I can pay with Demacian notes right?" He took out a coin and rolled it over his fingers.

"Yes, most stores and shops accept Demacian notes as payment." Adam placed the coin on this thumb and flipped it in the air.

"Great I will just have one of those then." He put on a grin.

"So Vi you excited for some matches?" Jace asked.

"OH DON'T EVEN GET ME STARTE-" As Vi started her long rant on the idiocy of summoners Adam felt happy. Quietly listening with the occasional comment as they talked about various events that they had been through at this 'institute.' Based on what they were saying, it sounded like a strange place to work, especially as a second job for two cops.

'What a beautiful night.'

* * *

 _He flicked the sand with his feet, feeling the warm grains rub along his skin. There was a gas leak, a day of reprieve from the dark mines._

" _The sun feels good." Adam looked to his right. They were sitting on a small remote beach next to an empty, expansive, lake._

" _Yes, it does." The brother laid completely back with his eyes closed under the shade of a nearby tree._

" _I wish this could last forever." The brother said._

" _So do I, and maybe someday it will."_

" _Do you think… this is how mom and dad would have wanted us to live?"_

" _I am not sure if basking under the sun and relaxing, but free, yes. As long as we enjoy it."_

" _At this rate, it almost seems like we will never leave that dark hole." Adam watched the leaves sway back and forth in the gentle breeze. Tiny waves hitting the shore._

" _Well eventually if we decide to we can probably just head out inland more, maybe find a better place to get some work."_

" _But we never seem to."_

" _We are still young, let's not rush ourselves too much."_

" _But all of this will fade away and eventually we will have to face that decision and what we really want for our future."_

" _Like I said, just stop thinking and relax."_

" _Ok." He smiled._

" _Remember these moments, especially the ones spent together."_

" _How could I forget."_

* * *

The blank ceiling met his gaze, his arms were sprawled above him and head rested on the couch cushion.

"I wish I could still live that dream."

'Which one.'

"The one with my brother, the one where I didn't fall down a hole, the one where I didn't leave him behind."

'Are you talking about when you met me?'

"Yes, but now that I have you I don't really have that much I regret. It's not like I can change what happened."

'Ok, we should probably get out. I wanna show you something.'

"Sure, let me get up." Adam swung his legs off the couch and looked around the room. He reached for the front door to make sure it was locked and stood up.

'You feeling ok?' It was unlike the demon to show any concern whatsoever.

"Sort of, the memories just remind me that I left him behind. Probably hurt him, but hopefully, he was able to do well… he is strong, stronger than I ever was."

'... Well, let's go then.'

Adam sighed, sometimes things were too complicated for him to understand, life needed to be simple.

"Ok."

The room was left empty and the two disappeared.

* * *

 **Damn, there was a lot of dialogue in this chapter. I always like writing the first few chapters of other stories just to get my mind off of this one sometimes, but most of them are hot garbo :^) but that's what I think of all my writing.**

 **Thanks for reading!**


	21. Chapter 21

**Exams are killing my soul rn ;-;. Sorry if this feels a little rushed but it is more of just a transition into the upcoming chapters :). I have also been drowning myself in music so I don't have to listen to my own frustrated screaming. Well anyyywayyyy, any support is very, very appreciated and if you have questions I will also be happy to answer them :3.**

 **Hope you enjoy,**

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Adam stood at the mouth of a cave, the entrance looked crumpled and torn down. The wooden planks that once covered the entrance were now rotted and sagging down from their spot, "Keep out."

'Demon why are we here.' Adam thought.

'If you didn't want to come here we can leave, I just thought with all your talk about dreams you might want to see what has become of this place.' Adam took a step forward and placed a hand on one of the splintered boards. This area had been in ruins for a long, long time. A few hundred years of desolation made this only a place for haunted memories and lost souls.

'This isn't the most pleasant place, but I am glad it's gone now... May we?' Adam asked.

'Sure.'

He pulled his hand away from the entrance. Soon enough they appeared on the other side of the nailed the abandoned mine it was damp and the air felt heavy. He still had some dark memories of this place. He ran his hand along the cave wall. The jagged rock had been roughly cut and chipped away in hope of finding the tiniest bit of salvation among its walls, a gem was worth workers lives. Only a few steps into the long entrance it was pitch black.

'Just a little bit surprised it has not caved in after all of this time.' Adam thought. The demon stayed quiet, letting him take it in. 'I should find the station right, here.' He hand fell on a box, he moved it to the front where there was a lock.

'Can you open this.'

'I should be able to.' There was a tingly sensation on his wrist and a smooth substance ran up his hand to the lock he was feeling. The black liquid clamped around the lock, after a second there was a loud clang as it snapped in half, falling to the floor. The liquid receded back into his wrist.

He lifted open the box and reached in, taking out a few long thin objects in a small pile of moldy hay, stashing a few in his pocket. Then he felt along the edge till he came to a corner and reached down.

Adam lifted the flint out of the box along with some hay. He crouched down and started to strike it hard against the small brick of steel, sparks flew from the bit of metal and fell onto the hay. Soon a small plume of smoke rose and he tilted a candle down towards it. Once the wick was lit he stood up, stamping out the small fire.

'Let me get that.' Adam was holding the candle in his hand as it illuminated the dark tunnel. The blood started to trickle from his wrist and towards the candle, wrapping around the base.

'You can let go now.' The demon said. Adam let his arm fall to his side and the black liquid held up the candle. The thin string of blood was able to support it upright.

'Just be careful of the drafts of wind, we wouldn't want it going out.'

Adam wanted to cower away from the dark stone, every day the grueling work, every day the pitch black and the explosions. Now it just seemed peaceful, the deep intrusions into the mountain merely serving as a sad reminder to the past.

The shaft descended down, far down into the dark. It would be a while until he reached the end. He turned around bends and passed a few discarded headlamps. The footsteps echoed through the cavern, the only sound in the encompassing darkness.

'We would come here every day, the further down we get the hotter it gets. We were in charge of creating new tunnels.'

'How many different shafts are there?'

'It's a giant web, tens maybe even hundreds of them. Although that was not the only entrance to the mines.' They kept moving for the next couple of minutes, letting the darkness block out everything except for the sound of light footsteps.

Adam stopped at the end of a long straight section, there was a small corner.

'This is where we waited when doing the explosions.' He started walking forwards again, the candle held out in front of him. Soon enough there was a ledge on the rock that was a couple feet down. He hopped off, crouching low.

"And this… is the cavern where I fell." He said quietly in a silent reservation.

He moved into the center of the wide tunnel and got down on his knees. In the center of the room was a small pile of stones and gravel. Sticking out of the top was a larger stone. He moved the candle to the light where words were etched in. "Adam, Rest In Peace." He traced the words with his fingers.

His hand glided across the rough stone to dust it off and he let one arm fall to the side. The cave was dead silent, the only change being the flickering of the candle.

The soft sound of droplets hitting the stone rung in the mineshaft.

'Hmm, I really do miss him.' His finger kept tracing the letters as black tears hit the rock face. They slid down his cheek making black streaks down his face as if ink was leaking from his eyes. A small puddle of the substance formed on the floor. He tried to keep his face from crumbling, he could already feel the pressure in his chest.

"I hope he didn't live a lonely life without me," Adam brought a hand to his face and wiped some of the liquid away with his fingers. He rubbed it in between his thumb and forefinger, it felt like water but was darker then it should have been.

'Even in my tears, your magic flows..'

He bit down on his tongue, eyes stinging. Adam wore a grimace on his thinking about what could have happened, then shaking his head. 'Knowing him he would have done something better with his life.' If he had been there it would have been different, if he had been there they both could have been happy.

He sat there on his knees with his head bowed, keeping his mind clear. Minutes passed and he stood up.

'Demon do you know what is at the bottom of this hole?'

'nothing.'

Adam kneeled with his head hanging down, this needed to be done. "Goodbye." The candle was set down at the base of the grave. There was a whiff of wind and a tiny trail of grey smoke rose to the top of the cavern crawling among its jagged surface and eventually fading away into the complete pitch black of the mine, the demon was gone.

* * *

The waves crashed against the steep shore, they had appeared on a beach high North of Ionia. A cold wind blew across the water making ripples glide across the surface.

"I just hope that I will never have to see that place again." He looked out to the ocean, wiping off the last bit of tears with the back of his sleeve.

'Sorry if it hit a little too close to home.'

'No, it helped me let go. I live in my little bubble but sometimes reality smacks me in the face again. ' He watched the blazing ball of fire slowly being consumed by the horizon. Adam tucked his knees to his chest and rested his chin on his hands.

'You know what I have planned right?'

'Yes, but we still have time before that comes. Let's rest and let time catch up to us first.'

'We have never been there before, I wonder what it's like.'

'Hopefully, everything that it lives up to be.'

Adam tilted his head and eyes felt heavy, the crashing waves slowly formed a rhythm.

'Every time we had left that small cabin in the woods all we saw was the buildings, all of the corners and structures, all of the wars, but they never seem to see this.' The seafoam blended with the bright white of the sun as the ocean and the inferno became one. Sunset was the best time of the day, the peaceful night being a close second.

'What beautiful twilight.' Adam's eyes glowed, the demon was watching through them too.

'Let's enjoy this before we find somewhere to sleep.' They watched, patiently waiting for the spectacle to end. The sky dimmed from its brilliant blue to a deep purple and eventually to black with pinpricks of light poking through.

Once the sunset had finally completely fallen over the horizon Adam lay on his back.

'Let's go.'

'There?'

'Yes there.'

* * *

They stood quietly in front of the short footpath.

'We did this to look back on what we had so we can embrace more to come.' Adam thought.

'Hmmm, nice.' They stood in front of the cabin in the lively forest. He walked along the path and reached the door. Pressing his palm to it, it swung open and he stepped inside. Nothing had changed, the small cabinet, the bed of hay. The cabin he had lived in for so long.

Adam walked over to the bed, dropping the cloak on the floor next to the bed he fell backward. He sunk into the bed with a whump, the prickly hay poking his back.

'Home sweet home.'

The crickets played their song in the calm night.

'Goodnight demon.'

'Sleep tight Adam.' Adam let out a short chuckle.

'You too.'

* * *

'WAKEY WAKEY.' Adam's eyes burst open to look around the wooden cottage.

'Nope still empty, five more minutes.' He lay back down and closed his eyes again.

'Ugh do I have to get you up myself, WE GET TO TRAVEL TODAY.'

'Mmmmm wait, resting is more important.'

'Yea I am getting you up myself.'

'Wait, whaaaAAAAAA' Adam found himself plummeting hundreds of feet above the ground towards the forest. His stomach felt like it was rising into his throat .

'See, this is the best way to get someone's attention, I have proved it twice.' Adam flipped in the air, his arms pinwheeled around trying to stabilize him.

"YOU HAVE MY ATTENTION CAN YOU PLEASE STOP," Adam yelled out loud.

'Just a couple more seconds, enjoy the view while you can.'

He kept falling, his measly attempts at slowing down were not helping at all.

'Oh, where should we go?'

"I DON'T KNOW COME UP WITH SOMETHING."

'Hmm, where have we not been in a while.'

Adam was desperately trying to get any control over his motions but to no avail.

'Oh we could go for a nice hike, or we could go back to that village to see how they are doing. Those ninja people were pretty cool.'

"PLEASE STOP HOLY SHI-"

The sky was left empty as they disappeared.

* * *

He lay back on the branch of a tree, letting a leg swing in the wind. A few leaves fell loose and fluttered down to the floor. The day had moved from chaos to being sluggish really fast. The village had pretty much been empty, a few farmers here and there. At least it was not as decimated when they had last seen it.

'I am still sad that we couldn't find any of the ninj-'

'Stop.' Adam cut him off. 'It's quiet let's keep it that way.'

'Are we going to move at ALL, it has been an hour.'

'Nope, we are sleeping here.'

'Why? You slept in, sleeping seems to be the only thing you would willingly do.'

'Because I am tired and lazy.'

'But you're not the one doing the work.'

'Than you should be grateful that we are not moving, and this tree is much more comfortable than most.'

'Fine.' The demon sounded somewhat dissatisfied, and in complete honesty, he was surprisingly tired from the amount of magic he had expended over the past couple of days. 'Whenever we have actual time to do something you just want to rest, where is the fun in that?'

'Because whenever we are doing SOMETHING it is batshit crazy, and I prefer to live a little more balanced lifestyle.'

'PPPsshhhh yeah sure, "balanced." At least we will be going somewhere tomorrow.'

'Shhhhh.'

Adam let the calm sound of the waving branches lull him into a deep sleep, if you had asked the majority of the people in Runeterra, they would agree that he was not sleeping in a comfortable position, and many would have thought him to be dead.

'Mmmmmm, sleeeeep.'

At least they would get a chance to see something new.

* * *

 **I am kinda getting dunked in work rn but I promise to keep up with this :D,**

 **Sorry again if it felt rushed .-.**

 **Welp, good night... or good morning... or good afternoon WAHTEVER have a good one, hope to see you next chapter :)**


	22. Chapter 22

**And we're back. So this chapter will be more of a transition one into the great stuff that is to come. (Still drowning in work until summer, and then summer makes me lazy and complacent) Thanks to all who read and hope you enjoy.**

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"I ahm jussss, uuuuu." Adam rolled over to try to knead out the knot in his back. "Whait wha." He fell downwards from the branch, a black string from his wrist was already wrapped around the branch. His body came to an abrupt stop a couple of feet from the forest floor, limply hanging from his wrist.

"Whaaaaaa." He said slowly, still mostly asleep.

'CALLED IT.' The loud voice of the demon rose in his head. He lightly swung back and forth, arm in the air. Adam stayed there in mid-air, hanging from his wrist. "Called what?" The tether suddenly let go and he dropped to the floor, landing on his feet shakily. The chilly morning made him bring his hands up to rub his shoulders. 'Just wondering why this air didn't wake me up.' Gradually the sun started to heat his back.

'You move a lot while asleep, I had that line just in case you fell. Which you did.' The demon was triumphant.

"Thanks? I guess." He looked East, "What time is it, like eight-ish?" A few clouds spread across the sky, sliding in front of the sun.

'Wow that fall didn't phase you at all,' the demon mentally frowned. Adam shook out his arms and reached to press against the sore spot in his back. Even though the tree was comfortable it was still a tree. The bark was smooth and the branch he had slept was one among many.

"Eh, still tired, waking up." He smiled and shook his head, every place we go is beautiful in its own way. '... O… K.' The demon was a tiny bit miffed at the strange mood.

"Whoop, I'm pumped, let's go." Adam started to walk through the greenery. The morning dew made his shoes damp as he took off. "It's good to live in the fast lane, when things get too slow they get boring."

'No stretching? No early morning routine? Ok well, here we go..' Adam leaped off of a small log and propelled himself upwards. The world twisted inside out and he blinked a couple of times when he landed it was on one of the top roofs of Piltover. He took a deep breath, the smell of the city flowed through the air. It was a smell of energy, building material, it was lively and fresh.

"Man the atmosphere here, you can really tell there is a difference." He took in another deep breath, enjoying it for the time being.

'Sure sure, let's focus on what we came here for. The last time Caitlyn and Vi had departed for their work had been in the morning at around this time. So they should be leaving pretty soon. Last time we saw them was two nights ago and we told them that we would be out and about to deal with business.'

Adam was crouched down on top of the building across from the police station.

"What's the chance they left already?" Adam asked,

'Uhhhhh, low? I am pretty sure they wouldn't have left that early.'

Adam ran his hands along the concrete ledge in front of them, after feeling the grip he dusted his hands off.

'There' The demon mentally pointed Adam towards the car rolling down towards the police station, this one looked different from the few near it.

"Hmm, do you think that's what they are going to take? Last time we were in that it didn't seem to go that fast, and from what I have heard this place that they are going is pretty far inland."

'I am not sure, either way we just need to tag along.' The sleek vehicle moved in front of the station and stopped along the curb.

'Just on time.' Caitlyn and Vi opened the front door of the police station and stepped towards the car.

"Piltover is pretty expansive, they probably have multiple police stations." Adam stayed low until the car started to pick up the pace.

'Make sure to not lose them.'

"I have you, we won't." He started a light jog along the roof. "If they are not going to be taking that car thing then what are they going to use?" The car started to speed up and he picked up the pace.

'There is a lot of vehicles and machines in Piltover, many of which we still have no idea what they do.'

Adam launched himself off the roof and brought his legs up closer to his body. His feet barely cleared the ledge of the roof over and he started to run again, running across a steam vent letting off clouds of water vapor. The warm air felt like it was lifting us his body, he smiled and kept up the chase.

"Cross Now." He jumped off the ledge of a building towards the flat wall of another that was much too high to get too. They disappeared and he landed on the roof of the building across the street. The car was moving even faster below them. He pumped his arms and ran forwards jumping over a row of fluid pipes. "Again." He grunted, pushing off the face of a building and grabbing onto an overhanging flagpole. Dropping towards the ground and appearing above the car on a bridge.

Slowly but surely a rather large building was coming more into view the further they followed the car. It looked much larger than the surrounding ones and there seemed to be lines of metal entering and exiting it on either side. Once Adam was able to get a clear sight of the car stopping he slowed down his sprint to a walk.

"Why are there mining rails coming out of that building?"

'What? I don't know.'

"I thought some being like you would at least know."

'Shutup being stuck underground sucks, I can't see the world by myself.' The demon exclaimed. Adam imagined the demon making a pouty face and crossing his arms, he held the laugh in his throat at the strange mental image.

'Pay attention they are leaving the car.' Adam moved his eyes back to the objective. They had exited the car and started to walk casually towards the large building. The roof was slanted and had a few large glass panels.

"Let's try to see if they are visible from there."

Soon they were on the roof, Adam was laying on his stomach looking into the large window. The inside, for the most part, was hollow. Near the center on the tracks looked like really long houses.

"What?" Caitlyn and Vi had already moved towards the front of the first metal box after passing a fence that looked like a checkpoint. There was a large group of people standing on the platforms next to the weird metal structures.

"I still don't know why houses need an entire line of windows." The two cops entered the front section of the long thing and the door started to slide closed behind them. The loud voice of a female announcer came out of large speakers in the ceiling.

"First train for the: Institute of War. Leaving platform two, stand clear of doors." Adam watched as a couple of people dashed onto the metal box as the doors slid closed. "Trraiinn," He let the word slide off his tongue, this was completely new to him. Then with a small jolt, the box started to move forwards along the tracks.

"Uhhh Demon."

'You better start running, it's accelerating.'

"Oh boy." Adam pushed off from his stomach and slid down the slanted roof on his feet until he reached a metal access platform. He started to sprint down it in the direction the vehicle was going.

"How good are you at making a soft landing, or at least one where we don't break our legs." Soon they would reach the yellow railing.

'I don't know, haven't tried yet.'

"Well then now would be a good time to learn." There was a trickling sensation as the blood trickled from his back and down towards his legs, making a small ring around his ankles.

'Heh, we're crazy.'

"I wouldn't call that crazy." He grabbed onto the bar and lifted himself up. Positioning himself so his feet were centered on the rail. "I just have a different frame of mind."

He launched himself outwards as much as possible. He didn't need any more height, he just needed speed to be able to somewhat match the train. Adam positioned his legs under him and stood straight up. As soon as he started descending the substance started to collect around the bottom of his ankle and shoe. It started to shoot down ahead of him as he fell, making contact with the train before him.

His descent was slowed down by the force and it pressed against his feet.

'It is not going to be 100% so there is going to be an impact.' The liquid started to collect as a platform on the train and he was only a few feet away. As he fell he balanced using his arms but tucked them in when he got closer.

His feet touched the roof of the train and he bent low and brought his shoulder over, rolling to stop the rest of his momentum. He slid a few feet before coming to a complete stop on his hands and knees.

"Ok good we made it."

'Adam…'

"Yea."

'The train hasn't stopped accelerating.' He looked ahead, the demon had been right. Soon he would be thrown off of it by the sheer speed. He started to slowly walk back to the end of the train.

'Not good.' Adam thought, he had started to slide backward and no longer needed to walk on the slick metal surface. The wind whipped at his cloak, sending it straight out behind him, acting like an impromptu parachute. The only sound was the howling of the air around his head. He put his arms up in front of his face and braced one leg behind the other.

Adam turned his head away to look behind him, there were only about two sections of the train between him and the cold hard ground.

'Any way you could help?' He started to get desperate, his head turned back to look forward and he peered through a crack in between his arms. He couldn't lose the two cops now, he had never seen this city that they had spoken of. Wherever this institute was he wanted to find it. In front of him, there was an upcoming solid concrete walkway that was gunning it towards him, the train was about to go under a rather hard concrete bridge.

"SHIT, TIME FOR IMPROV." He jumped up.

'HELP.' He thought. Immediately he was thrown backward and he brought his hand forward. The blood whipped forward and latched onto the back of the train car. There was a small step in front of an emergency exit. He was quickly pulled towards it and landed his feet on the door. The bridge whistled above his head. Adam pressed his back to the door and panted hard.

"That was... too... fucking close." He said in between slid down until he was sitting on the ledge, legs dangling only a few feet from the fast-moving ground.

'AHAAHAHAAHA that was so cool man.' The demon said, Adam smiled and tilted his head back to look at the sky.

"At least we made it."

'Well, now we get to chill here for a bit and hopefully it won't be too long.' Adam's heart was pounding in his chest and he looked out towards the rapidly moving landscape.

The suburbs of Piltover were disappearing from view as it changed to green rolling hills. The green blended with the light brown as the view shifted. They watched silently from their perch as the train continued barreling towards their destination.

After Adam had dozed off twice on the trip, small patches of houses started to join the trees and hills. There was a sudden whoosh as the train had entered the tunnel and the noise of the tracks was magnified in the small space. The sound of the rails clanking and the trains rumbling echoed in the small space. Adam watched the circle of light at the end of the tunnel slowly grow smaller and smaller as it flew away. The tunnel opened up as the train left with an audible whoosh.

"Woah" Adam stood up and grabbed the railing. They were inside the walls of a city, a vast city that from where he could see was much much larger than either Demacia or Noxus. Buildings stretched into the sky and districts of shops were spread out.

'Yup… that's pretty big.'

"You don't say."

Once they moved further towards the middle of the city the train started to slow down. Every color thinkable decorated the scenery, bustling streets, and sidewalks. Adam could peer around the edge without getting the wind in his face and he looked to see a building much like the one the train had left from in Piltover.

"This is where we get off." Adam looked for a better vantage point and spotted a building above where hundreds of people were filing in and out of the train station.

'There.'

He watched people file in and out of the station, carefully looking for a tall purple hat. It was hard to see in the swarming chaos, people, and creatures of every color and raced seemed to be concentrated in this single plaza.

'Found them.'

"What, where?" Adam's eyes glowed and they focused on two figures making their way towards another car waiting on the street. 'I think it's time you go to them.'

"You sure?"

'I don't want to have to transport you every couple of seconds to another rooftop, it's tiring you know.'

"Fine." He appeared in a doorway and a few people jumped back. He nervously stared at them.

"Well, I will just be -" He slid through the door and hurried down the street, "Leaving now." He ignored the continued stares and flipped up the hood on the back of the cloak.

'Heh, still a bit self-conscious now are we.'

"Hmph, shut up." He walked towards the same car, pushing and nudging his way in the crowd. He watched as Caitlyn removed the huge purple hat from her head and opened the door for her and Vi to slide into the vehicle.

"Man, they go through a lot of work to get here. You would think they could just use a teleportation spell or something." Adam made it to the car right as the door closed. He reached up with his hand and tapped on the window. It slowly rolled down to reveal the face of a squinting Vi who was looking up towards the sun.

"Adam? WHAT?"

"Yesser it is me." He smiled and placed his hands behind his back.

"What the hell are you doing here? You just leave and then come back here? What the heck man. Don't you have 'business' to be taking care of." Vi lifted her hand to block out the sun.

"Nah Nah I got all of that done. Oh, I just wanted to ask directions as to where the actual institute is. I went through the trouble of getting here think you could point me in the right direction?" He stared into her eyes expectantly. The crowds of people swarmed past him.

"Wait so you're actually going to try and - " They had given him a basic rundown of the giant unification force of this "Institute."

"Hey, what can I say." He cut her off mid-sentence, shrugging. For a second his eyes flashed red, "You got me curious." He tilted his head to the side and peered past Vi. Adam watched Caitlyn facepalm. "I know you have a few tricks up your sleeve but to compete with the type of people at the league." She rubbed her chin. "All I can say is good luck,".' She said.

"Heh, I don't need luck."

"Well I mean we have extra space, Cupcake?" Vi asked. Caitlyn just sighed and nodded. "I don't see why not."

"Great hop in." The door opened to reveal the clean interior of the car. Vi slid over to make room. Once Adam got in he closed the door and Vi wrapped an arm around his neck, putting him in a light chokehold. "You can go now." Caitlyn motioned to the driver who silently nodded.

"I can tell you one thing for sure, it's going to be one rocky ride." The car started to move along the busy streets of the city. "Welcome to the heart of Valoran Adam, and prepare yourself for the challenge of a lifetime."

"...Oh good, a challenge is always nice."

'Well then.' The demon spoke out in his mind. 'This will be… fascinating.'

'Heh, I mean what's the worst that could happen.' Adam felt splendid.

'You just ruined our chances of having any good luck with this.'

'Meh, I never believed in luck anyway, leave it to fate.'

The demon chuckled 'And off we go.'

* * *

 **Heh, this is going to be fun. Well, anyways thanks for reading. If you see anything wrong don't forget to leave a review, (the motivation and words of others help me write more :) Damn I ask for review a lot, what can I say XD. Anyways thanks again for reading, next chapter I hope to get out in two weeks, later.**


	23. Chapter 23

"For an institute, I wonder where everyone is?" Adam stood in front of a huge ornate door, golden coils of decoration wound around the frame and images on the front depicting violent battle. On either side was a torch with low blue flames.

'They are probably just inside.'

"We only saw a few robed weirdos running around." Adam looked around, so far since their first step towards the campus, there had not been too many people. The car left the city and moved along a paved road through forestry.

Although they had not left the protection of the walls the institute was in the middle of what looked like a giant expanse of trees. From where he could see the main structure was massive, comprised of tons of buildings and too many connections to count. Apparently, Vi and Caitlyn could have just used a portal to teleport here but they had been improving the size to get larger objects through.

"Why would they go through all the trouble of having this place surrounded by trees."

'That's something to figure out once you get accepted.' The demon said.

Vi and Cait had already left him at the information desk which he was then pointed to this door close to the main entrance. They had hurried into the building shortly after.

"Okay so, this is supposed to be some sort of test so miraculously hard that only just over a hundred have been accepted."

'So far it looks that way.' The blue, eternally lit flames made the gold decorations on the door cast eerie shadows.

"No turning back now." He smiled and placed a hand on the large entrance.

"What truly, is the worst that could happen."

The door opened with little effort and swung without a sound towards the inside of the room. It was pitch black inside, no light or visible structure. Adam stepped into the ominous room and nothing changed, the door behind him swung closed and he was completely surrounded by the darkness. He took a deep breath and shook his arms. The demon was quiet in his mind.

The floor from beneath him disappeared, Adam thought he let, but heard nothing as he descended further and further down into the overpowering darkness.

* * *

" _Hey, Adam, you there?" A hand waved in front of his face._

" _What, oooh, oh yeah." He looked down to the pickaxe in his hand, he was back in the caves rock faces surrounded him on all sides._

" _You just stopped for a second you feeling ok?" His brother asked._

" _Yeah yeah, uh, let's keep going." The brother just turned back towards the tunnel and raised the pick above his head, bringing it down hard on the wall in front of him. Chipping away slowly and watching the rocks crumble in front of him. Adam followed and soon they were hitting at the wall over and over again. The sound of the picks hitting the solid surface clanged and the metallic sound filled their ears._

 _He lifted up to wipe his brow and set his pick on the side of the wall._

' _What am I doing?' He looked back up to the solid rock face, his brother was leaning on the pick and panting heavily. Adam pulled out a round canteen from behind him and uncorked the top, gulping down the water and recapping it. He shook his head, something felt off._

 _The ground started to shake and a pang of fear clamped on his heart. Earth shakes were normal in the mines but this one felt worse, it felt like doom. Adam jumped up and pushed his brother against the wall, placing himself in between his brother and the mine._

 _Loose rocks and patches of the ceiling started to crumble and fall, Adam grit his teeth as a few raked across his back. The rumbling did not last long in the cavern and when it did Adam fell to his knees. Blood was dripping down his arms and pooled on the ground at the end of his fingers. The blood was coming from the scrapes in his back and as he fell sideways he heard his name._

 _The darkness engulfed him and he fell. He couldn't let his brother be hurt again, not again, not again. Before him, scenes started to flash and play like his memories put on a screen. Adam re-watched himself and his brother talk on the beach, he watched them look at the stars. He watched himself roll down the field of green laughing. Then the scenes slowed and he watched them walk through the mine, towards the end of the tunnel._

 _The sound of his brother's screams sounded surreal and distant as he watched himself be engulfed by the red at the bottom of the hole. The only thing he was able to give was silence to his brother as he cried in the corner. 'It's my fault for leaving him.'_

 _The image disappeared and he was left once again in the black abyss._

* * *

 _There was a sense of heat all around him, muscles felt tired as he lay slumped on the ground. Adam opened his eyes, surrounded by rubble, the smell of burning wood and flesh made him cough. Large smoke clouds rose up into the evening sky. He was in the middle of a wrecked village, bodies were around him, children, men, women. The scarred faces, mouths wide open mid-scream as they were slain. It was like a painting, but every face, he could remember the exact expression, the exact features of the face._

" _Oh no, no no no," Tears started to well up in his face from both the smoke and the realization of the event. He had killed them. Adam stood on unsteady legs and moved forwards. Having to witness every bit of horror and destruction of the town that once was. He picked up a piece of a broken picture, a painted one of a family. Blood had been splattered on it and he tossed it to the side. Adam could see all of their faces vividly, they wore the expression of horror as one by one he smiled and looked deep into their hearts. Finding the soul._

 _When he reached the edge of the village he wanted to escape, to run away until it was nothing more. So he did, he ran onwards deep into the forest, running away from the past and towards the black abyss. He had already accepted that it was a part of him, but he still wanted to run away from everyone. 'Escape.'_

 _He was standing on a black platform again. Adam looked down at his hands and hung his head._

' _Hey.' The voice spoke._

' _Demon?'_

' _I am still here.' Adam just had a poker face and looked at the ground._

' _I feel… .' The demon was quiet._

' _You might want to look up.' Adam tilted his head back and stood upright, a few hundred feet away stood a person, but instead of a face, there was a blur in his vision._

" _Brother?" There was no response from the man in front of him. He started to walk forwards, soon it broke into a run as he ran towards the still figure. All of a sudden a wall of green flame burst in between then and Adam skidded to a halt. Adam lifted a hand forwards and reached towards him. His brother was so close, right across from him, besides the flames._

" _I need to be there, I need to come back."_

' _Adam this is just an illusion snap out of it.' The demon spoke harshly as Adam started to walk towards the wall of flame._

" _I can't stop, I left him, what have I done?"_

' _Adam Don't.'_

 _The flames looked like they had a mind of their own, licking at the ground near his feet and brushing towards his arms. Soon he would touch the green flames. The sound of hollow screaming emanated from them, deep with a slight sense of longing. He remembered those screams, the cries of all the people lost at his hands._

 _Adam tried to lift a foot but it wouldn't move. He looked down and it was in a tight clasp within the black substance._

" _Demon let me go."_

' _I can't.'_

 _His face contorted in anger._

" _I said LET ME GO." He ripped one leg free from it and pushed the other one out. The black blood sank to a puddle on the floor._

' _Maybe these flames will give me the fate I deserve.' He ran into them, they licked at his legs and up his body. They felt both cold and hot at the same time, the skin that they hit started to turn black and crumble. The sound of the demon crying in pain could be heard as he trudged through the flame. Adam fell forwards, his legs were just ash and he plummeted into the flame. The howling of the deadbeat at his skull and he tried to move forward but his limbs only turned to ashes._

" _Brother…" The blurred face of the figure looked down on him and did not move. His face crumbled and the rest of his body disintegrated, dust to the wind._

" _Help… Me." The green turned to black and everything was gone._

* * *

He wasn't dead.

Adam was standing in the middle of the dark room again.

'External illusionary magic was used.' The demon said.

'Still… those events did happen. Well, not the last one… but maybe it should have.' His normal cheerful attitude was able to be diminished in a matter of seconds. His past would better be left buried under all of his other memories. He wanted to curl, to throw up and sob in despair, but this was a test. He had to remind himself, this was a test.

Adam let out a sigh and looked up to see a door similar to the one he had entered standing tall in front of him. A blue orb shimmered above it, glowing in the completely black landscape.

He waited, tilting his chin upwards and staring into the orb with a fierce gaze. His past was all the more reason why he needed this.

"Why do you wish to join the league of legends?" The female voice enveloped the darkness and shook the ground with it's strength.

"So the blood in my veins doesn't have to get any darker so that the number of lives that I have taken can come to an end," Adam said, the other voice was silent. He blinked again, "And…." He raised a hand to look at the insignia on his wrist. The cross with the crescent at the bottom of the horizontal line. "To forgive myself."

"How does it feel to have your mind exposed." The voice this time was not as loud but still had a clear air of authority.

The edge of Adam's lips curled slightly.

"To be honest, it felt like shit…. But, thank you."He said the last words without a hint of sarcasm. The door started to open in front of him and behind it was a veil of pure white light.

"Welcome to the League of Legends."


	24. Chapter 24

Adam shielded his face and blinked a couple of times to let his eyes adjust to the bright light. He put down his arms, someone in front of him was clapping.

"That was quite the spectacle." As his vision focused there was a man in front of him carrying a short clipboard. He was wearing a long purple robe that reached the ground much like the others he had seen. Adam studied his face, it was long and pointed with a slight stubble and the hairs at the end of his long beard colored a light grey. He had very pensive eyes but lines on his face that made him look happy, giving him a slight twinkle. Behind him was a long hallway that was empty.

"So, Adam I presume, from your initial testing everything checks out." He finished writing on the clipboard and lifted a hand forwards. Adam took it and shook.

"So I got in?" Adam asked.

"Well you are standing here aren't you? Your previous history was quite... interesting. The strength tests and power affinity all returned positive too so you're not trying to destroy the universe of commit any serious genocide, unlike some of the uh... things we have here. Also, we're sorry if that was a bit disturbing, it is just protocol for everyone we have coming into the institute. It's more accurate than any other test we could have given you."

"Well, I would definitely call that a success, nobody died from the mental trauma and this is the first positive test in a while." The man in the robe said.

Adam looked up, it was an elevated ceiling leading down a long hall. There was a window against the wall and as Adam peered out of it he saw the forest. Off in the distance, he could see the sun setting, except when he had entered the place it had only been about midday.

"Wait how long was I in there?" He tilted his head side to side to see if he was missing anything.

"Oh only a couple of hours, it might seem like a short period of time except it does take a while for the multitude of summoners and various instruments to determine whether you are worthy or not to be a representative of the league." Adam turned back towards the robed man.

"Come on, right this way." The man turned and started to walk down the corridor. The entire thing seemed surreal, it had all happened so fast. He started to walk forward still a little bit stunned.

Adam matched the man's pace and followed a few feet behind. The summoner that had greeted him was a little bit lanky and had a slight stride to his walk. The man walked with a long stride and slightly gangly limbs. "The name is Alex, I was assigned as your introductory summoner and coordinator for the time being." As they walked through the halls Adam tried to take in everything he was seeing. Inside there were considerably more people that he had seen outside the institute, a few were sitting at the nearby table while other hurried past. He followed Alex through the hallways. A few of the robed people gave him sideways glances but continued on their way.

"So Adam first things first you will be having your initial assessment on the Howling Abyss to just see exactly what you can do in person, that will be tomorrow." Adam bumped into someone, he said a quick sorry and hurried to keep up.

"We set up our housing structures for our champions in a system where we order them into housing based on which nation they follow. For example Demacia, Noxus, Ionia, even Bandle City, all of them really." The long hall opened up into an even larger circular room. Alex turned around to face him.

"So, Adam, do you want to represent any nation? Of course, there are the unaffiliated champions which are fine, we just want to make sure the choice is yours." Alex folded his hands behind his back and waited expectantly. This seemed like a rather large decision to be making upfront, although if he had been affiliated it would be a very easy question to answer.

"Unaffiliated." He answered quickly. 'I don't think any nation would want me among their ranks.'

"Also there are few champions that choose to stay outside of the institute grounds if you would prefer that the choice is up to you but remember we expect you to be here every day during the week." Adam just looked at the summoner, the man was much too perky for his liking.

"This whole process is pretty fast." Adam did a 360, they were standing in the main building of the institute, a large dome made up the roof.

"Yes well, we want to get you on the field as soon as possible. Our champions are very important to us and whenever we gain a new one it's good to uphold our vision of unity across all of Valoran and beyond."

"ALEX YOU BASTARD." Adam turned to find a very short summoner with the cloak covering their body hurrying towards them.

"Ok, so you said unaffiliated correct? Just this way." Alex quickly turned and started to move down the hall in the opposite direction, ignoring the angry complaints coming from the other summoner.

Adam jogged behind to keep up. "Should I be worried about... that?"

"Pay no mind, just keep going." Adam peered over his shoulder to see that the other robed figure was hurrying after them. Alex took a sharp right and he followed. He could feel the carpeted floor under his shoes. He looked so out of place among these robed people, he hoped he didn't have to wear that purple thing.

The corridors seemed to stretch forever. They made another sharp turn, Alex obviously trying to shake off their pursuer.

"So Adam do you know how we handle our champion pay around here?"

"No not particularly." In their rush Alex stumbled forwards on the end of another robe but quickly got up, brushing off the angry glare from the summoner.

"Well since there are so many of us, we cast projections of you to substitute in games. Another reason why your entrance today, and a preliminary testing match tomorrow will be dictating how you projection interacts with the other champions. We call these projections bots."

"So do I don't need to do anything besides fight?" The number of summoners in the upcoming halls started to dwindle as they moved up a short flight of stairs to the second floor of one of the main buildings.

"No our analysis should be enough to decide the interactions that your projection has in other games."

"Is this a job? Or is it to prove something?" Adam had never really considered the league a business but assuming people like Caitlyn and Vi actually worked here there had to be some type of currency system.

"Yes, all facilities at the institute are free of course, if you do choose to live here the food and living spaces will be taken care of. Aside from that, every champion gets a gold income based on their contract with the league which can be discussed if you choose to do so, else all savings would be stored for your use anytime." Soon they came to an empty hall that stretched far down and had doors on either side.

'At least I don't have to worry about living conditions for now.' The less Adam had to think the better he could concentrate on the important stuff, which hopefully would entail fighting.

"Welcome to the wing of champions that choose to fight for nobody." Alex swept his hand in front of the hall as if to reveal something magnificent.

"Choose whichever room you like as long as it's not taken already, we will prepare a nameplate as soon as you make your decision." Alex stood behind Adam as he started to walk down the open passage. Their steps made small thunks on the wooden floor.

"So Alex can you tell me about some of the interesting people you have in this place, I don't many of the beings that reside within these halls, all of them have to have a story."

'Can I borrow an eye, I would like to see the names if you're not going to read them.' The demon talked slowly, almost groggily.

'Stay awake I can't process this all on my own, and sure.' Adam stopped and raised a hand to rub his left eye before opening it again. It had a dim glow as his view moved from plaque to plaque.

"Where do I begin? We have creatures and assassins from all over, even some from the void. We have undead, knights, a large variety of mages, creepy little furry things, and many more."

'Oh hey look a familiar name.' Adam's attention moved from the ranting summoner to the plaque.

"Yasuo fights here?" He stopped in front of the door.

"Yes he does, he is relatively new compared to some but has proved his worthiness on the fields." Alex glanced behind them to make sure that the person that was following them was long gone.

'I guess Yasuo found whoever he was looking for, or maybe just stopped here temporarily.' The demon tugged at Adam's mind to face him towards the adjacent door.

"Well might as well stay here then." Adam rubbed his hands together. Sure the test might have been a little bit unsettling, as in very very unsettling, but this place was looking up and up.

"Great, move right in to decide if the conditions are to your liking, everything should be prepared."

Adam placed his hand on the handle and swung the oak wood door open. Inside was much bigger than he had expected. There was a wide opening into the room and a bed towards the back corner. Across from it on the left was a counter and small stove. He flipped the switch near the entrance and it lit up so he could see better. The only other things was a short dresser and door that lead into what he assumed was a bathroom.

The rest of it was plain, nothing on the walls or ground.

"Damn this is perfect." Adam stepped inside at shook his shoes off to jump up and land face first into the bed, arms spread out.

"Feel free to put anything you want inside as long as it does not intrude on any of the other champions spaces or disturbs them. You would be surprised how many noise complaints we get from the Noxian quarters." Alex stepped back into the hall and waited at the door. "I will be back within an hour or two so get yourself situated however you please."

Adam let out a grunt in compliance.

"Oh and one more thing that I need to check off my list, fighting or harming any other champions while not on the Fields of Justice is against our policy and will result in MAJOR consequences and even expulsion from the league."

"Quick question do we have to wear those purple things?" Adam asked.

"Heavens no, these robes are for summoners only, many of our champions have a variety of outfits." Alex grinned, "Clean clothes are in the dresser near the bathroom. I will see you soon." The sound of footsteps followed the door closing.

Adam lied face down on the bed. Letting himself sink into the cushions.

"This place is great."

'Excited?'

"More than ever."


	25. Chapter 25

**Well, I told you I was writing up a storm. This is more of just a filler chapter that I wrote to get the backstory of the demon set a little more straight. (Don't be expecting a new chapter every three days XP). I will be updating this story and maybe revisit some of the earlier chapters to add to them. Well anyway, this was a fast one and reviews are still very very appreciated as well as questions if anything is confusing. (If you see something wrong help me fix it!) Also, the entire _Italicized_ part is like the demons monologue.**

 **Anyways thanks for sticking with me and hope you enjoy :D,**

* * *

'Why have you been so quiet'

'If you really want to know, it's going to take some time, and you are going to have to answer this question. Do you know what it is to be truly alone?'

'No' Adam had been laying back on the bed with his eyes closed.

'Well, let's go back then.'

* * *

 _Before I found you I was nothing. I was a consciousness in complete darkness without feeling, without a body or purpose. I don't know when I came into existence or even how I simply was. It was true madness, being alive, being there but having absolutely nothing. No emotion with only the power to think and not knowing anything else. I was stuck in the dark without any concept of time or another feeling. I had no idea of language but I could think in emotion. It was a purgatory, painful without pain, boredom became the knife driving into my back and I could only think._

 _The concept of time became the clock that ticked away my sanity, ate at my body that didn't exist. Black was the only color I knew and my own mind became my cage because it determined both my limits and my future._

 _Think of it, to have no end, to have no beginning, to only be, but you are everything you know because there is nothing there with you. You don't know the world you don't know anything besides your own feeble mind. I wouldn't describe it as pain but imagine being stuck in a room without an exit, with no concept of time, you could be there for seconds and it could feel like years._

 _Before I knew it I had fallen into a loop of self-imposed exile from nothing, accepting that I will never be something because that's apparently what my creator wanted. They didn't want anything from me, I was a creation without a purpose, I was nothing._

 _But do you know how truly mind-numbing when you find something there that you didn't think existed? One faithful time there was another consciousness beyond my own, something that I had proved to myself that was impossible. It came so fast but it was so quiet so I clung to it, I made sure it didn't fade anymore because if I knew anything at all is that if I did not protect it, it would die. Yet I needed more, I became so ravenous so crazed that I finally had something that I took a part of that other thing for myself. I don't know what I am but the only thing I could feel the moment I came in contact with that other soul was hunger, a ravenous feeling to tear and eat away._

 _With that little part that I took, it gave me so much power, going from nothing to infinite possibilities. So I kept the other thing alive and well, and in turn I tried to become one with it, meld myself into this being so I would never be alone again. From there I started to actually see things, feel things, color, a world, a life that was not my own. I was introduced to the concept of feelings, a vast variety of emotions and senses that threatened to almost overwhelm me completely._

 _I was looking through your memories. In them, I found different emotions, things that I couldn't understand but I could feel. The pain, the hurt, the happiness, and the sorrow. It felt wrong. So after a very long time of trying to understand it I made the decision to try and feel it myself. I took control instead of letting things happen, I struck out with my power and bonded with this soul._

 _I used your body because you were not yet awake, I was still curious so I traveled to the world that you once inhabited. I traveled to civilization. I wished to be there and there I was, gone from the dark and from the madness to a place filled with life and color. My power is a part of me, I simply will it to happen and it is there, many try to understand the way that power manifests itself but I simply bend it to my will. I didn't realize at the time but my limited world had been unfolded, its almost if I finally had a concept of space and time. My life was filled with more than I could have parse together myself._

 _So soon I wanted to know more about the life you lived. I encountered some more people and found their similarity to you. The last time when I had inhabited you I was filled with a sort of euphoria, a happiness of my own so I thought that if I did that again I would feel that again. So I did, I killed so many people without knowing it and I gained power but after the first few I gained less and less until there was a cap. My power had an end. Yes I had gotten power but I had not felt happy like I had when I found you, and I had not cast away your body, I had used it._

 _So I sat you down and I tried my best to wake you up. Thinking somewhere in my twisted logic that you would be able to find that feeling for both of us if you were to live on. That's what I did, I woke you up in the middle of a massacre and expected you to be happy. I was so naive, I was just a newborn to this world I was thrown into._

 _I'm sorry._

 _When you awoke at first you were disoriented but after a short amount of time, the only feeling that I could get from you was fear and pain. Fear of yourself and the pain of the destruction I had caused. Me being me thought that if you just kept going we, together, could feel happy._

 _But the happiness never came, I did not gain happiness, the only emotions I could draw from you was the self-pain and the sadness that engulfed you. You kept running trying to get away from me. You went on for years and years in constant misery. I kept taking control forcefully because I had to to keep myself awake, and those moments I would always regret, I was always a selfish being._

 _Then you had feelings of suicide, and from there I could not understand why one would want to take their own life. This joyous thing that I was able to witness and experience._

 _What would drive you so far to want to no longer exist? So I put the pieces together and thought if you had happiness and a life before, but now you don't even want to move on there must be something that had changed that._

 _It was me, and from that realization, I felt an emotion that I had only had hints of before. Guilt. Guilt that I had hurt you because you had given me literally everything and in return, I had given you pain and suffering, negative things. The only things that concerned me before were to learn and to be alive._

 _The worst part of it all was that you thought it was you, you thought that you had brought this upon yourself. You stacked the blame onto your now frail mind and that caused you to crumble, and I hated myself because of it._

 _Finally, as time went on I needed something to change._

 _Now I had another reason to exist, it was for you. I had brought those negative feelings but that's not what I wanted, I want you to be happy and for you to not hate yourself, or me. So I learned as much as I could, how you communicated, how you felt. I learned as much as I could about your past and the life you once lived, also learning from that small cottage in the woods. It took me hundreds of years, but the time spent doing so was well worth it._

 _I didn't know when to start so when you encountered Yasuo I told myself why not start now. Change can only start from one realizing there is something wrong, and I needed something to change for the better. From then on I tried to make you do things that would make you happy. Go to a happy place and stay there because that cabin in the woods did not make you happy. I wanted to change you into something you were not._

 _Then I felt it, in small moments when you were exploring the world you felt happy. I loved it so much and I wanted so much more. I stayed quiet and silently wished you on your happy way. When your thoughts were brought back to me you felt fear, I don't want you to fear me so I tried to act happy. I want to be happy and hopefully so did you._

 _When we became more carefree I became lazy, thinking that from now on you could drive and I could live. I thought that we were on top of the world and I was living the good life. Then the Vayne incident happened and all of the happiness disappeared, I had fear. I feared that I would be reduced back into my maddening state of nothing. Now that I knew that this place existed, that life existed there was no way for me to go back without wanting to end myself. So I thought that maybe if I put myself into you, you could live on with me and I could simply be._

 _I saved you and for me and that was enough. I asked to be brought back but in reality, I thought that because of the pain I had caused you, you would not even try to bring me back. That's why I was so surprised when I was brought back, that you wanted to continue on. I had been more of an affliction than anything else. So I had peace in what I brought to you._

 _When my time was up, I asked myself had I done enough, and that answer to me was yes._

 _Then there I was again, in the darkness but now that I had understood so much more I was not in my self-preserved hell. When I died and you lived your life in Piltover I couldn't see or understand anything, but I was happy knowing that you could live, without the pain I cause._

 _When I woke up I was surprised and relieved that you had not yet given up on me. The happy memories and what we still had yet to do must have been enough motivation to bring me back. Even after the pain, I had proved myself that I was not just a burden._

 _Since then I have stayed quiet because the less I talk the more you can live your life without me, I am a distraction from your happiness and a reminder of the past. You had a fun time in the bar and you had a fun time with everyone else. Watching life is enough for me._

 _I was naive and caused you pain. As long as you are happy I will stay here as a repentance for what I have done._

 _So thank you, Adam, for life._

 _Thank you._

* * *

Adam opened his eyes slowly. Breathing a heavy sigh and relaxing on the bed. He stayed there for a while, letting the words of his companion sink in.

'Talk all you want then if our existence is all you want to talk your heart away and be alive because it's not only me you should be worrying about.' Adam smiled and opened his eyes, they glowed crimson as he stood up.

'Demon let us be us, and let us be happy, we are one now, let us both exist in the best manner possible. You are not a reminder of the past, you are a reminder of all the happiness to come. It's going to be fun.'

'Ok, heh, I will admit keeping my mouth shut is a hard task to manage.'

"The League is a large place, let us make some new friends and enemies, and let us also meet some old ones," Adam spoke.

'Let's make a new life demon.'

'For us.' the demon was hesitant.

"Yes indeed, for us. First impressions are important so we should make ourselves presentable." Adam stepped towards the bathroom.

"Let's keep the past behind us where it should be, and bring it with us to the grave." Adam clapped his own face and smiled.

'As you wish.'

"Time for us both to live in the moment demon."

* * *

 **Well, that was a pleasant little chapter. I enjoyed it :D.**

 **Again reviews and criticisms are very appreciated, I will be keeping up with my update schedule so expect more. Hope you enjoyed!**

 **;)**


	26. Chapter 26

Adam lay back in the soft cushions of the bed, 'I don't think it's right for me to feel this comfortable'. In the distance, a bell started to ring and he opened his eyes, looking at the door. The bell ringed on and on before its last long note struck across the institute. It was still the first day he had been in this place, and its atmosphere already had him captivated.

Adam could already hear the footsteps coming his way. He sluggishly removed himself from the covers and pulled himself over to the door. On the other side, Alex raised his hand to knock but the large door suddenly swung completely open before he laid his hands down.

Adam's eyes roved up and down the summoner, "mmmmmm yes?" He slurred. He looked at Alex's side and saw another, shorter, summoner. He rubbed his eyes and stood more upright. "I feel like it's too early for you to be waking me up, also was that bed made of the softest material on this planet cause it feels quite nice."

"Yes, we do try and provide our champions with the best materials." Alex tapped his clipboard in front of him.

"So whos your friend?"

"Oh, this is Lyss." Alex stepped to the side. Lyss was short, very short, she wore her hood low so Adam still couldn't see her face correctly. Then she reached up to remove it.

"I had to chase down this knucklehead because he forgot to remind me that he left me with all of his paperwork to chase after a temporary job." Lyss was a yordle. She glared at Alex who only had a sheepish grin on his face.

"Yeah, but you can deal with it," Alex muttered.

"I GOT TWO HOURS OF SLEEP AFTER TAKING SEVEN CUPS OF COFFEE TRYING TO STAY UP" Lyss looked pissed. Adam smiled, she had long elf-like ears and was covered in a layer of chestnut fur. Her wide golden eyes looked up at him with both innocence and the look of intrigue, proof that she was not just a child. The deep purple robe dragged on the ground behind her a couple of inches. She looked back at Adam.

"Sorry for the slightly rude introduction but Alex thought it would be a good idea to drag me along."

"You two must be good friends." Adam stepped into the hall and closed the door behind him.

"Hah, talk about it I had to carry his ass just to pass summoner training."

"Lyss, not right now. I am hungry and I am sure Adam is too, we can talk about it over dinner." Alex started his long stride back down the hall.

"Adam if you didn't already notice that bell was to announce that all games for today have finally come to a close. The only other time they will ring will be when the matches start." They reached a round room with hallways leading off in other directions.

"This leads to all of the others champion's quarters." Some of the hallways had banners flying above them to show the different factions. The black axe of Noxus, the winged sword for Demacia, the Ionian ring, Bilgewater Cutlass, and a few more splayed out further down the room. Adam had to walk a little faster to keep up with Alex's long stride, Lyss was practically keeping up a light jog.

"Now is a good time to get acquainted with your fellow champions, a majority of them stay here during the week so you will be able to see them at the dining hall." As they went along Adam noticed numerous other hallways extending off into more corridors. "Is there a map for this place?"

"Yea, it's somewhere in your room in one of the drawers I think," Lyss said, she was, surprisingly enough, able to keep up without breaking a sweat.

'Did you seriously forget to look there?' Adam mentally poked the demon.

'Psh, don't expect me to get to everything, I was tired too y'know.'

'Sure.' Adam rolled his eyes at no one.

"So Alex, what's so special about this one? He looks way too normal to be the champion sort." Lyss said. "Like I know we have a very extensive process but Adam here seems a little plain beside the very ominous aura and slightly strange clothing." The black liquid crawled on the floor and gripped on the back of Lyss' cloak, she stumbled forward and shot a glare behind her which turned into a look of confusion. Adam's eyes glowed red and the substance retracted back into his skin along his leg. "What was tha-"

"We're here." Alex interrupted.

"But!" Lyss wanted to understand what had just happened.

"Don't worry you will see plenty of it on the rift later."

Their walk was only five minutes until they reached the central dining hall. Tables were all around the room, spread out evenly across the massive hall. Food vendors spread out across the walls of the room, hailing from every corner of the globe, many of which Adam didn't even recognize. In front of him, Adam saw the strangest group of creatures and people sitting along tables. Conversation in the room dimmed in and multiple heads towards him.

Suddenly that dark cottage in the woods looked a lot more comfortable than the place he was standing. He gulped and tried to shake off the awkward feeling. "So how does this place work?"

"Just go to one of the food booths and grab whatever, it's buffet style and sometimes the chefs throw in something special." As he walked across the room many started to lose interest and went back to chewing on their meals. Adam scanned the room, a couple were still staring at him, others glaring as if they had already decided that he was an enemy.

Adam looked up and caught a glance of a familiar sight. He smiled and went to quickly grab a small meal of just rice and some beef. As he looked left there were a few faces he had recognized from his journey. The mage and scout that he had encountered in Demacia were sitting together, surrounded by other warriors wearing the colors of the city.

"Alex I am going to have to ask you to talk to me later, I have some business to attend to. Some old friends." Alex just shrugged.

"Fine, I was going to tell you about the match tomorrow but it's not that big of a deal. If you really must then, by all means, go talk, I'll give you a wake-up call in the morning."

"Thanks, see you laterrrrr."

Adam peeled his eyes away and looked to his right, walking towards the target.

'Now that's…. Weird. I've seen a lot of shit but this…. This is something else.' The voice of the demon spoke out. There was a little girl clutching a teddy bear and looked to be having a tea party with a…. With a thing? The creature had a long flowing plume of white hair that completely covered what he assumed was its face.

'Is it wearing a mask?'

'I don't know. Maybe? It could be his face.' The THING was wearing very large puffy clothes and had peg legs tucked under the table. Next to it was an instrument of some sort that resembled a horn. It raised the glass the little girl provided and just held it in front of its face before setting it back down on the table. The girl continued to giggle and hug the teddy bear.

'This place is weird.' Soon Adam stood directly behind the person he was looking for, they were silently eating at a long table near the corner of the room. He placed his food down and plopped down in the chair.

"Long time no see." The lone figure looked up.

"Adam?"

"Told you we would see each other again." Adam grinned at the familiar face of the samurai.

"What are you doing here?"

"Do you really have to ask?" Adam smiled, there was silence between the two and soon he picked up the pair of chopsticks on his tray and started to pick at the plain rice he had settled for. It was better not to get to fancy on the first day, there was plenty of time to try different foods.

"So" He talked in between small bites.

"How did you end up here Yasuo?" Yasuo continued to stare at the red-eyed Ionian, still stunned at his sudden appearance. "You still seem surprised." Adam tilted his head to the side and chewed in thought.

"Well, I didn't expect us to meet up… here. Didn't know you were much for this kind of thing." Yasuo tentatively started to pick at his own plate once again.

"Good to see you too buddy." Their previous encounter had been short but the two still shared a small bond. Adam leaned forward to whisper.

"So, how are you liking it so far?"

"What?"

"The league, the people, how is it?"

"Oh that, it's… interesting, and complicated."

"Someone sounds lonely sitting in the corner."

'He was the target of multiple assassination attempts.' The demon said.

'This is true.'

'Oh I know, ask him if he found what he was looking for, he said something about that when we parted ways.'

"So Yas, way back when you said you were looking for someone, have you found that special someone here." Adam wouldn't stop smiling.

"Yes.. and no."

"What? Did they die or something?" Adam chewed and raised an eyebrow.

"No no no, it's just… they weren't the person they were before. Like I said, it's complicated, this whole place is mysterious." He looked back down at the plate in front of him, picking the last bits of food from its surface.

"Why are you sitting here all alone? Some people here look kind of inviting. Kind of." Adam took a look around the room again. A crazed yordle was stabbing tomatoes with an very uniqe looking axe. A hideous purple creature in the back was ravaging an entire mountain of food. He watched in shocked awe as a card match almost escalated into two men blowing each other heads off with oversized guns. People were already quietly evacuating from that corner of the room. "Yea… very hospitable."

"Well… I am convicted of High Treason by Ionia, although I am protected by the league there isn't a single person who doesn't know my past." Yasuo looked down.

"But you're a good guy, you should make some friends." The only reply Adam got was a poker face.

"How about, friendly acquaintances instead?"

"I understand you are trying to help but now is not the time."

"Fine fine, but if you do like antisocial assholes there was this one person. I'm pretty sure their name was Vayne. She works here right?"

Yasuo smiled a tiny bit. "Yea."

"Greaaat. Oh, boy, do I have shit planned."

"Just don't rope me too far into this." He grimaced from the previous experiences with Adam.

'He doesn't know that it's too late for that, I pity him.'

"Sure," Adam lied, "but I am also going to help you work out whatever stuff you got going with this other person." Adam stood up, empty bowl in hand.

Yasuo stayed seated and raised an eyebrow. "Why?" Yasuo asked.

'Yea, it's too late for him now.' The demon snickered.

"Because I'm bored. Don't worry, I will make it as enjoyable as possible." Adam had a devilish smile on his face and he disappeared out of thin air, reappearing on the other side of the room and dropping the tray in a collection zone. 'This is only the beginning.'

'Ready?'

'Ready.'


	27. Chapter 27

**Big ol' update note at the bottom, glad to be back :D**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 _The lights flipped on._

 _He was standing in a room of white. Everything was white, there was nothing in the room, or along the walls, just a clear box. Who was he? He didn't care, it didn't matter._

" _Hello?" His voice was there, nothing but emptiness replied. There was a welling in his chest, he moved to one of the walls and pressed against it. The wall was solid, he pressed harder but it wouldn't budge. The feeling of desperation seeped into his mind as if the barriers protecting his emotions had just crumbled. Letting his feelings burst out in uncontrolled waves. Panic overtook him and the pressing on the walls became banging._

" _Nothing, it's all just nothing, IT'S NOTHING." He shouted and rammed his shoulder into the corner._

" _Nothing, nothing, I remember something like this." The feeling of deja vu was prominent, he remembered this, not experiencing this, but as if he had been warned by it before._

" _It's there, no no no no no it's THERE." Claw, bite, fight against the nothing, but how could he. No one could fight nothing._

" _Empty."_

 _There was a dragging feeling in his gut, then his heart stopped, he could hear the still constant beep in his ears as he tipped backward and fell into the nothingness._

 _There was a field, the color of the grass was so bright he moved a hand to block out the color. His mind had been reset, the panic was gone from before and the memory of the white room was soon replaced by a calm as if it never happened. If he tried to recall if there was only a fuzzy spot in his mind. He walked through the swaying flowers and the sun made his neck feel hot. The tune sparked from his lips and the nostalgia emanated from nothing. The happy tune contrasted with the rustling grass._

"Can we go, back to the forest where nothing ever happens

To the little white cottage where we can play and frolic in the flower fields.

In the flower fields.

And maybe, just maybe

Life will keep moving on

The past will be forgotten."

 _The blue of the sky turned to grey and the wind became a roar. His hair whipped around and the flowers were plucked and thrown into a hurricane of disarray. It had morphed from a pleasant field to a hurricane of chaos._

"But we keep running from the truth,

And it seems to feel obliged

To drag it down with us in the end."

 _He turned completely around to face a wall of black, writhing shadows and blood. The two red sparks of its eyes bore down to him and a hole opened. He could turn and run, run from it._

 _Run away from it all, even if it was for nothing. The black liquid burnt into this skin as dark fingers wrapped around his ankles and neck. He couldn't rip free as it picked him up and encased him. Throwing him backward away from the torn field and back into the abyss. A bell started to clang and it never stopped it beat. Each ring a new fracture in his mind._

 _Ding_

 _Ding_

 _Ding_

Ding

* * *

'ADAM' He sat up in bed.

"Th - The bell, it's ringing its…" He wiped the sweat that was dripping down from his eyes and around the room. It was his room, the one at the institute, the same one he had fallen asleep it. Before trying to comprehend anything else he immediately stood up and walked to the bathroom. Using the sink to try and splash away the dark circles under his eyes.

'You were in a pretty bad dream to be in that much distress.'

"I don't want to talk about it, ugh. That's a new one."

He pressed his eyes together and forehead to the wall. The dream had overwhelmed him, each new one was worse than the last. The other dreams he had were all bad but not as horrible as this one.

'Maybe it's a sign?'

"For what, Armageddon?"

'Heh, maybe. With all the loose magic being waved around by idiots with tiny brains I would not be surprised.'

"Just be quiet for a bit I need to collect my thoughts." The demon obeyed the order with silence. Adam turned back around and flopped face first onto the bed. The last time he had a nightmare as vivid as that was when the Demon got restless in his mind. He faced his palm upwards and tilted his head, sending silent commands to the demon who responded. The black pool of liquid swirled in his palm and he didn't take his eyes off of it.

The stuff looked like it was taken right from his nightmare.

"Demon is there any way you can elaborate on what this is."

'I can't give it a name, but I know that I can control it and it is the closest thing to a body I have. Besides my mental connection with you, the only other form I have in this world is this stuff and my magic.'

"Hmmm." The feeling of dread was now completely gone from the nightmare. It had worn off and disappeared. His mental state had returned to that of peace.

"Maybe I will ask one of the summoners to see what it is."

'I have no problem with that.' There was a knock on the door and Adam shook himself off.

"The taste of battle should wake you up."

'Oh, it will.'

Alex stood there tapping at his clipboard impatiently. Adam opened the door, stretching his arms above his head.

"Get some good sleep," Alex asked. Adam squinted and sighed before securing the cloak around his shoulders.

"Yes, those beds are still too comfortable for their own good." Adam followed the summoner from his room and back down the hallways.

"So, Adam today you are going to be assessed in your ability, we have a basic idea of your power but we have not yet had the chance to see what you can do with it." Alex flipped through some of the papers on his clipboard. "We are going to be testing out how you react to piloting and have you perform some basic tasks to see if you are truly a good fit for the institute. If you have any violent tendencies, now is the time to show them." Adam had an ear to ear grin, he could already see the possibilities.

"So first things first I am going to be teleporting you to the rift, usually I can do this from anywhere but I need to tether you to a Nexus source of energy before I can." They came to a room with armed guards lining either side. The doors opened automatically and they walked in. "I already have clearance for this place, we already passed through multiple barriers to confirm our identities so don't think getting in here is so easy."

"I wouldn't dream of it," Adam smiled.

In the center of the dark room at a giant blue crystal, suspended over a pit that led far down. Adam couldn't get a clear sight over the edge but he wouldn't be surprised if it was at least a mile long.

"Place your hand right here," Alex motioned to the pad in front of Adam and he placed his hand on the uplifted pedestal.

"I'm unifying your mana presence so that we can tell where you are and move you into the rift safety, this is also how we are going to stop you from getting obliterated by the other champions in battle."

'Wow…' The demon spoke.

'What is it?'

'The sheer amount of power radiating from that crystal is insane, I can feel it, it's magic force is being held by these walls but it is radiating something massive as if its a giant battery.' The demon was in awe. The levitating crystal glinted and shined, creating its own light in the dark room.

"And done, you can take your hand of now," Adam took his hand from the pedestal.

'I didn't feel anything,' Adam thought.

'Me neither,'

'Weird.'

'Hello?' A voice rang out in his head that was neither him or the demon, it was distinctly different with an echo.

"WOAH THERE," Adam put a hand to his head.

'Yes, Alex here is everything alright.' Adam started to get adjusted to the other presence in his mind. 'This is how champions communicate with their summoners to perform special tasks in battle.'

'HEY! This is our mind, not yours!' The demon yelled.

'Oh, there are two of you?' Alex asked.

'What do you mean there are two of us, there has always been two.' Adam looked at the physical form of the summoner who only raised an eyebrow in reply.

"And here I was thinking you were crazy." Adam let out an exasperated sigh.

"You are not the first."

After he had finally figured out how the mental communication worked between himself and the summoner he stood upright.

"What now?"

"Now that we have you tethered we are going to get you up on the rift as fast as possible, this might be slightly uncomfortable at first." Adam started to feel woozy, purple sparks started to erupt in a circle around him.

"What is this?"

"A teleportation spell fueled by this Nexus," Alex said. Lines of energy started to wrap around his body and he stood still, letting the bright light engulf him. Soon he couldn't see anything past the pillar of bright purple. If he could describe what being turned inside out felt like, without the pain, this would be it. Reality bent around him, but not in the pleasant and quick process he was used too. Adam's stomach rebounded hard and by the time the light completely faded from his vision he puked onto the new floor beneath his feet.

"Blegh, oh man, I don't feel good at all." He tried to stand up on shaky feet, sweat beading his forehead.

'It always feels unpleasant the first time around,' Alex's voice said to him. After Adam made sure he wasn't leaking any organs he looked up from the ground and finally noticed his surroundings. All around him was stone extending outwards that led to walls and past that he could see the tips of trees. Three fields, one two his center and two others on either side stretched out from the stone platform he stood on.

"Whoah… where are we?"

"Adam… welcome to Summoner's Rift."

* * *

 **AAAAAAAND CUT, guess, who, is, not, dead. Heh…..**

 **SORRY, I am so sorry I dropped this tory out of the blue :{**

 **I just didn't have the motivation way back when to keep writing it but in my recent travels, I thought to revisit it once again. I promise to pick it up once again and give a much more long-term heads up if I ever don't feel so good again.**

 **So long story short, IM BACK, *confetti* (mediocre yay)** **. I really wanted to revisit this story after mulling over it in my head for so long. I had made the plot a long time ago and realized that this is where I truly enjoy being. So expect to see me expanding this story onwards and upwards :D**

 **So, CHANGES, some rather obvious ones are right here. I have changed, people change and my writing style could have evolved (but hopefully for the better) but don't worry, this is still the same story and I expect to keep it in the same format. Don't expect a regular upload schedule :^), I have random bursts of inspiration, and motivation helps with that. Also for those that don't know, I will be attending university in the future so my schedule can be VERY very weird and fluctuate constantly, so I will be writing when I have time and am not trying to work on my portfolio for animation.**

 **Also, I did revisit all the old chapters and clean them up some. Some small stuff has changed and I fixed over 500 grammar errors (big oof) so go back if you feel like it and ALWAYS tell me if I made a mistake, I hold criticism much higher than praise. (Yes I still am a review pig XP)**

 **Overall, I am glad to be back and hope that I can meet your expectations once again. I am going to try my very hardest to bring this story back and hope that you will stay on the ride with me. If you leave, I completely understand but home that what I write is satisfactory. I have a lot planned and am very excited to share that with you all in the future.**

 **Thank you so much, and another big thank you for reading my story,**

 **\- Adam**


	28. Chapter 28

Once Adam was able to orient himself correctly in the new environment he finally started to feel his surroundings. The air was filled to the brim with energy, back at the institute it was just a buzz but now he could really feel it tickling his skin. He blinked a few times, still trying to get rid of nausea making his head spin.

'Adam?'

'Yes, demon?'

'We are on a different plane, this isn't the same... world, I think, we were just on?' The demon sounded confused.

'You would be correct, this is a different plane I mean, how else do you think we keep various alive things from dying, magic is complicated. There are many fail-safes and steps we take to assure safety,' Alex was still talking from the back of his mind.

'Also Adam, not sure if you noticed but uh, you got some new clothes or something,' The demon mentally giggled. Adam finally took the chance to look down at his own body.

"... what?" the clothes that he was now wearing were similar to the ones that he would use to go on hunts, except much fancier. He wore a black undershirt and baggy pants that offered warmth and mobility. They were not large enough to look tacky but had a certain style that he liked and had worn on multiple occasions. Their only problem is that they would sometimes snag, but if he was careful of his actions it rarely happened. He had a long red coat on that almost reached the ground and some sick new shoes to match. "So, I like what I got going here, and I do enjoy the general theme," he twisted around to look at his back, sewn into the coat was the curling design of dark red mist coming from the edges, "but I am really THIS edgy, I sure don't feel this edgy, like you could have made me more colorful or something, now it just looks like I had my whole family killed by a witch and now I want revenge, forever hunting the damned."

'Too soon,' The demon asked.

'I do what I want,'

'Yes, since you didn't have anything that was suitable, we had a team of people analyze your past experiences and comfortability to come up with this outfit, we have access to past memories remember, although we do only use them for your benefit.' Adam rubbed the skin around his wrists, anticipating a battle.

'I think it suits you quite well, you will look very flashy in battle.' Alex sounded exuberant.

Adam felt the shirt and coat, the quality much nicer than anything he had worn before, especially if he was to fight in this. "Seems like too much of a hassle, just wear whatever and if it works it works, but now I don't have to try to look badass." Adam dusted his hands together, "So now that I stand out somewhat, what happens next?"

'This was just to make sure that you were compatible with this space, last time we tried this we almost ripped our newest champion in half, which would have left a very bloody mess not only here but also back at the institute. Anyways, there are frequent magic complications, so we do regular checks now.'

"Understandable, I wouldn't want to be ripped in half either." Adam nodded to himself.

'We will be moving you to the real testing grounds shortly, but do take a look around because this will be the primary battlefield you will be fighting on.'

Adam took the chance to take in his surroundings. The only tall structures were the giant statues with crystals on the top of their stone staffs, emanating energy. In front of him was an enormous blue crystal being levitated, almost as large as the one he had seen previously.

'You guys are either very very very rich, or very very very powerful,' the demon said. Even Adam could tell that those crystals radiated immense energy. He took in a deep breath of the tingling air. As he sucked in the cool atmosphere he could feel it slide in and out of his lungs, bringing a sense of zen. Everything leading up to this point had been so chaotic, his life had taken a rather heavy spin and now he was here. There wasn't much to see past the walls of the circular space in front of him. This was so exciting! So much to do, and so much fun to have.

'Moving you to the testing grounds now.' Alex said.

'And here, we, go.' The demon said.

"Time to kick some ass."

* * *

This time Adam didn't vomit as soon as he hit the platform but still had to lean down towards the ground afterward. The chill of the air helped bring his senses into gear and he stood up, making sure that the feeling of the floor moving was dissipating. This was very different from where he had just been, the only similarity being the giant blue nexus in front of him.

"Welcome to The Howling Abyss," the female announcer's voice echoed against the steep walls of ice behind him. The light snow and haze obscured his view from looking too far but he could tell that this was a bridge, and it was not the warmest climate. "Hey Alex, you sure this is safe?" The entire place just made him wonder if he could find fossils engraved in the stone. If he could describe a feeling other than cold, it would have been old.

'The Howling Abyss is another area that was replicated and repurposed for being a close quarters arena, I assure you its looks are purely aesthetic, you can't actually fall, I think.'

Adam coughed at the "I think,"

'There is practically no chance that this thing could fall over.' At least the summoner sounded confident, good enough for him.

Adam started to walk forwards on the cold bricks below his feet, testing if his spit would freeze mid air, it didn't. He strode past the towers, noticing that ice pretty much hung off of everything. He didn't usually like cold places and it didn't take him long to decide he didn't want to visit the Freljord ever again after his first try. He stopped at the middle ground of the long battlefield, further one he could see towers similar to the blue ones, but these crystals glowed a vibrant red and faced the opposite direction. Along the edges of the bridge, there was some frozen over brush and in between these patches of foliage the bridge was crumbling away. He made sure to keep his distance but looked into the infinite black and blue below. It fell, down and down… forever.

"The name fits, it fits quite well." He took a step back from the edge to shake off the bit of vertigo.

'Now Adam, you will be pitted against an opponent in a one versus one situation, the current champion that has been picked based on your capability is Akali.'

"Where have I heard that name before?" Adam asked no one in particular.

'Hm, sounds familiar but let's see a face before we confirm anything.' The demon said.

"Minions have spawned." The announcer boomed over the area, Adam visibly winced, any louder and there would be a whole lot of tumbling bridge right about now. He was convinced that something of this size made of stone shouldn't be holding up.

'That is the first marker in the game, to make things more interesting on the battlefield we create automated magic objects, that help both teams push towards the enemies base, the only two ways to win are to cause a forfeit or destroy the opponent's nexus, the big crystal.'

Adam looked behind him and watched the small creatures wielding tiny staffs and axes walked forwards. He spun around to see similar creatures dressed in red walk up towards the middle. He stepped out of the way of the small things and watched with mild amusement as they started to beat each others heads in. 'we call these minions,' Adam watched the tiny battle, small bolts of magic flew from their tiny staffs, bashing into the others. It was adorable in a brutal kind of way.

Alex picked up once again, 'These are not only your main way of sieging the towers but are also your main source of gold income, there is a whole economy system used to give champions, which includes, significant buffs that can turn the tides of the game. Normally you would begin a match with a significant energy inhibitor, but for the purposes of this match as a way to measure ability, we have removed all inhibitors. We want to see what you can truly do.'

Adam tapped his chin in thought.

"How are these small things gold income?"

'Sorry I seemed to have skipped over that, once a minion seems to have taken significant damage you can finish it off which will add gold to your inventory which is kept invisible to all but the summoner. Try hitting the minions now.'

He cracked his neck and raised a hand, the small figures in the front were already looking tired from being constantly smacked, eyes drooping slightly.

'Demon,'

'Following your lead,' Adam smiled, they both knew what was going to happen, they had to understand each other if this whole battle thing was going to work out. As his hand came down the blood lashed out from his wrist, slashing at a short proximity in front of him and obliterating the minion, it whisked away with a small puff and the tiny noise of jingling coins played.

'Very good, make sure you do that whenever you cant, gold is very important.' Adam tried swinging his arm a few more times in practice, the demon was reading his movements, extending the blood to act like an extending sword of sorts.

'Now it is time for the real party to start,' Alex said. Adam looked up and made a small o with his mouth. In front of him was the very same woman who had originally stabbed him in the stomach back in his own home, rude. This time she was wearing a different outfit and instead of the kamas was armed with a sickle and a knife. There was a change and weaponry and demeanor. Something had happened while he was asleep, this woman had a different aura with her. She didn't really look the same either, it was strange, it was like seeing a relative but only when you had seen them when you were young, so you can barely remember them.

Adam's tried to shake off the deja-vu. His eyes started to beat red, glowing with excitement. the air around him started to sizzle.

"Let's skip formalities, my name is Akali," the female ninja said, she spun the sickle smoothly behind her. "You better bring it," Adam said, his eyes flashed red. There is never a time to be lazy in battle, and never forget, gentlemen's rules were for gentlemen, if it worked it worked. He readied his own fists in front of him. The female ninja was positioned close to the ground, balancing lightly on her feet. "Good luck stopping me," She walked forward in a low crouch, now only a few meters away. She was confident in her abilities, but Adam couldn't sense an ounce of magic coming from her.

'Remember Adam, this is another champion, they will be extremely versed in their main form of combat, remember, we do expect you to bring out every weapon you can during this fight, this is a test.'

Adam took the mental note into consideration, "I know who you are," Adam said, shaking off his arms and smiled with glee, "You are my opponent, and for now, my enemy," this time things would be different, yes, this fight would be much different. "Let's dance," The vein along his arms and neck had already turned darker, his blood was pumping now, the demon ready behind him, they could feel each other in tandem.

"HO YEA," he disappeared out of mid air and immediately popped up in front of Akali, already slashing. The liquid along his arm lashed with ferocious speed. His hand only met air and a shuriken flew at his face, he ducked and it flew over his head, digging into the floor behind him.

'Don't take your eyes off her,' the demon warned, Adam turned and just in time dodged the kick and barely managed to stop the sickle from gutting him. He knocked the blade to the side and slashed in front of him, managing to slice at the assassin's mid section but only scratching her as she passed him. She tumbled backward while simultaneously throwing a clean line of knives at his head. There was a blur as he swung his arm in front of him, there was a sharp pain in his cheek as a knife grazed his skin, the other knives would have killed him if he hadn't knocked them to the side.

"This is going to be fun, another fast opponent," He couldn't wipe the grin off his face, blood trickling lightly down his cheek.

"Likewise," Akali flipped the knife in her hand.

Akali looked at him calmly, analyzing his stance while ignoring the small cut in her side. She threw a small puck at her feet. The surrounding was quickly enveloped in a thick cloud of smoke, 'A similar trick that she had used before' Adam noted. He lashed out towards the smoke in front of him, it had completely surrounded the area, he couldn't pin down where she was. More knives flew at him from the side and he blinked away, appearing just outside the ring back near his turret. Akali watched carefully and threw another shuriken forwards, dashing after it and out of the black smoke. Adam didn't have any time to blink or lead an attack of his own. The sheer amount of knives flying at him was getting out of hand, this needed to change or he would lose the pace of the battle. He rolled under another row of daggers and ended his roll springing up while kicking with both legs, sending the surprised ninja backward into her smoke screen.

He whipped his right arm forwards and felt a tight tension on the rope of pulsating blood, there was a glint in his eye, he smirked, "got you." With a yank he pulled himself forwards, using the organic rope as a tether. He made a clean hit on the Akali's face, sending her further backward. She quickly recovered from the blow, when she looked up Adam had already started to fall from above her.

Certain he had finally caught the ninja Adam raised both his hands above his head and brought them down with colossal force. The blood whipped out and wrapped around his arms, creating black tendons on the back of his arms to boost the force, it wrapped around his fists as he brought them down with blazing speed. Instead of connecting with flesh he had missed once again, creating a shockwave into the ground, it radiated outwards and sent any of the unlucky minions in the area flying. The ninja was able to skip away from danger once again. Adam huffed in exasperation, this was getting really annoying.

There was a whoosh of air and Adam was knocked backward with a clean hit to the head, Akali flew past him. Adam raised a hand up to his skull, blood was trickling down the side of his head. He closed his eyes tightly, momentarily stunned. Another row of knives had already been thrown at him from behind and he was forced to duck forwards, coming up in a kneel.

"You are really making this hard," Adam said menacingly, the moving blood was writhing along the skin of his arms, creepily organic, an entity of its own waiting to defend him. Akali watched carefully from the smoke, taking her time with this opponent. Now she had control over the situation but one should never let their guard down, especially against another champion. She had already been surprised by his small attack getting through her defenses, it was careless of her. Many of his hits contained a surprising amount of brute strength but were easy to work around besides the quick lash attack he had used to pull himself towards her, that had caught her off guard.

"Come get me, show me how you are going to finish me off," He said at the smoke. He could feel her gaze falling on him, he wanted her to use all her cards.

"Time to end this," She whispered, the sickle spinning in her hand as she crouched low to the ground. In a blinding flash Adam had no time to react to the ninja, he could only feel the hit as steel cut away a sizeable portion of his flesh. The pain in his side immediately caused him to fall onto a knee. Akali turned around and watched him with pensive eyes. He was on the ground breathing quickly in and out. Blood was pouring from his fingers and onto the frozen stone, pooling around him in all directions. It looked more like ink at this point than blood. Adam's eyes had a hint of fear in them as he looked back up at the ninja, but there was still a smile on his face. "Exciting," he slumped over.

"I am going to end it just like that," She was also panting slightly, she had used that last fast dash to slice open his side. Her outfit had been damaged in multiple places and even in this cold, she was sweating lightly. She made sure he was down for the count, wiping off her weapons.

'Another clean kill... clean enough,' she thought to herself, her back turned away from the body. That is when she heard the laugh. She turned to face back towards the figure on the ground which, by now, should have been a cold dead corpse. Adam laughed hysterically and stayed there, blood still pooling from the wounds. He would have died a long time ago if he had been a normal being. All of a sudden the bleeding stopped like a faucet was turned off, and with it so did Adam's laugh. The figure in front of Akali stood up smoothly and turned to face her. She could now see the wrath of the inferno in his eyes, they glowed with a benevolent light. A satisfied anger was the expression on his face.

"Time to really end it," The demon spoke with Adam's voice. An aura of fear struck her and she moved both of her weapons at the ready in front of her. The black pool at his feet started to pulsate and in one quick movement lashed out. The blood had created spikes and writhed in a tangled mess to attack everything in its vicinity, it was too big and too fast to dodge. By the time she had tried to throw down another smoke bomb, the liquid was upon her.

Lacerations tore her arms and legs, cutting her body and throwing her back. Her weapons had been knocked from her hands and her head spun. She landed on the stone with a hard crack, rolling before stopping herself with one hand. This was too much if she was to win she needed to finish him off first. Akali reached behind her with the last of her strength and gripped the daggers, but it was already too late. The demon blinked in front of her and gripped her neck tightly, lifting her up into the air easily. She tried to drive the knives into his neck, but they were halted by whips of blood attached to the demon's arm.

"Sorry for this," he said, the smile on his face making him look like a maniac. The demon ripped his hands away from her throat and clasped a glowing red ball in his hands, it was a soul. He squeezed it in his hands, the small red ball collapsed into red whisps sinking into the demon's skin. Akali's body fell to the floor, lifeless. As the soul entered his body Adam could feel his consciousness coming back slowly, that attack that had slashed his side had put him in a dull stasis, he wasn't sure what just happened. The wounds on his head, cheek, and side were already patching themselves together, the soul doing its work, fueling the demon.

'Don't worry buddy, I cleaned up for you.' The demon had receded back into Adam's mind, his eyes now dimming to their normal color. Adam could feel the power radiating through his body, it was stronger than when they had started. He clasped and unclasped his hands, looking around him where the gruesome fight had just taken place, looking down the at the ninja's face, her cowl had fell down and she lied with her eyes closed on the ground. He frowned a little bit, she had been innocent, and very strong. He might not have known her past but she did have a good heart.

He had lost his own fight when his stomach had been cut open, the demon had taken over from there. The warmth that the action provided was quickly dying, he rubbed his hands on his arms, his surroundings looking more desolate by the second.

'Don't worry,' Alex finally chimed in. 'You can't die on these fields, remember?' Adam blinked a few times and watched in mild awe as the body of Akali faded from existence, leaving nothing but blood stains behind. He breathed slowly to calm his beating heart, his body returned to its normal condition. The thrumming adrenaline started to ease off and his heart beat at a steady pace.

'Quite an excellent performance Adam, congratulations on your victory.' Alex exclaimed. What Adam didn't know is that champions and summoners alike had just witnessed his performance. Some were already thinking about the fight they had watched, and what it meant. At least he had smiled, it was always important to impress. The energy had already left his body and he just wanted to sit down.

"Can we leave now?" His arms were limp at his side.

'Taking you out now.' The purple lines of the teleportation spell had already circled him and he looked upwards, head tilted back he smiled,

"What a beautiful sky."

* * *

Adam appeared in a wide dome shaped room with five raised platforms made of smooth black stone on each side, it had the texture of glass. He stepped off the one he currently was on. Surprising enough he only felt dizzy after this teleportation, his condition had to improve significantly. He could see Akali on the opposite side of the room, stepping off her own pedestal. He was glad to see her own wounds had disappeared. The doors at the front of the room swung open slowly and Alex stepped through, already walking towards Adam.

"Man that was amazing, you were right about looking badass," Alex extended a fist forwards and Adam met it with his own. The exhaustion had already left his body, he felt brand new. His new coat had been cleaned off from the bits of snow and blood that had fallen onto it. It was just like before he had stepped onto that bridge.

"I still don't think I deserve to look this edgy," he mumbled. Alex just smiled wider, "It fits you, trust me with the whole demon theme I like it." He clapped Adam on the back. "With that diagnostic, we will be able to get your bots running and you are officially able to compete in matches. Every day you will have a minimum amount to fulfill, and after that, it just depends on how popular you are with the summoners. Sometimes it's hard for new people like you to get a break but don't worry, you seem strong enough to manage." Adam was already dreading that this was now his new "job" that he had gotten. He was going to have to do that everyday… multiple times. He groaned before shaking his head. He would worry about it later. All of this was so exciting and a little bit overwhelming. On the opposite side of the large circular room, Akali was making her way to the door. Adam made a light jog to catch up. If he was going to be working alongside these people one would like to start on friendly terms, especially if you had just ripped your co-worker's soul form their body.

"Yo," Adam reached a hand up, Akali glanced back but kept walking. Adam smiled and caught up to her pace. "Hello?" He waved his hand.

Akali rooted herself and turned towards him, slitting her eyes. "What?" She crossed her arms in front of her chest and looked at the strange man.

"Hey I am not here to make enemies," he held up his hands, "Just wanted to say thank you for making that interesting, and nice fighting, your technique is blindingly fast and caught me off guard more time than I would like to admit. You are also the first champion I have fought, I would expect no less," He lowered his hands. Understanding that he meant no harm Akali let the tension in her shoulders loosen in the slightest.

"You are not the worst fighter either," Adam took it as a genuine compliment. "But you will need to have some more tricks up your sleeve to beat some of the others, most of your attacks are easy to predict." Akali looked him up and down, trying to fit his personality, and what he meant by when he said he had seen her before. She had yet to understand why he acted the way he did.

"Thanks for the tips, you got places to be so I won't keep you too long," Adam raised a fist, "fist bump?" He held his fist there for a few seconds. Akali rolled her eyes and lightly bumped against his own. Without a word, she continued on her way. Adam just closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He found himself doing that more and more to try and bring everything into perspective, his mind would wander too often. Alex came up behind him and patted him on the shoulder.

"Don't take it too hard, she just likes being solo."

"What?"

"It's alright man, I understand, making your move early on, respect." Alex nodded his head.

"... What?" Adam was miffed.

"You serious?" Alex asked.

Understanding finally dawned on Adam's face. He immediately keeled over and started laughing, he continued with a hand clutched to his stomach, back lurching up and down. Alex just watched the scene and raised an eyebrow.

"Ahahaaaaaaa, no," Adam said bluntly, making his way to the exit, he was not going to get head over heels into that shit, not right now. He lived alone, always and probably always will… maybe.

"Wait before you go, I have to give you the details on payment." Adam heard payment and stopped in his tracks.

"Yessss?" He turned.

"I have to be in the library so let's talk and walk," Alex took the lead down the hallways. Summoners were now paying much more attention to Adam as they walked along, whispering to each other and giving light waves as if he was some sort of celebrity.

"Seems like you already have some people warming up to you," Alex smiled.

"What?"

"That fight was broadcast you know," Alex said.

"Uh, no, I don't know." Adam scratched the back of his head, he didn't really care if people knew how he fought. It just made things awkward if people knew him and he didn't know them.

"Get used to it, every game is recorded and stored within our massive match library." They turned a corner and Adam had to slip past a few more summoners crowding the halls. "Now for the important part, payment is determined by how many games your bots participate in, and how many games they win. When you are summoned for a game you will get a larger sum and a bonus will be added on for winning, it keeps our champions on their toes." Adam rubbed his chin.

"How much we talking?"

"Oh, just about 5 gold per bot win, and 130 gold for every game you are in. A victory adds an extra 20 on top of that." Adam had stopped mid stride when he had heard that first number pop out of Alex's mouth.

'Holy shit,' even the demon was astounded.

'We are gonna be rich…' Adam was mentally stunned, back when he lived in that tiny hut he could have decked the whole thing out with just a few of those shiny coins. The implications were already running through his head.

"You sure you didn't forget a decimal somewhere in there?"

"No, I do believe I said everything correctly," Alex smiled. "Remember, only the best of the best are accepted at this institute, although everyone here usually comes for exterior motives, gold just seals the deal," Adam tried to wrap his head around numbers that he couldn't even fathom.

"I am going to have to leave you now Alex, I got to uh… do something,"

"Sure thing, but one last note, your official matches start tomorrow at the first bell, you will get a warning when you are summoned in a game and will have ten minutes to prepare. Rounds end at the last bell." Alex smiled.

"Good luck champion Adam,"

"You too Alex," Adam gave a light solute and disappeared from where he was standing. He was now perched on the roof of the huge institute, scaring a few birds with his sudden presence. Adam sat down on the slanted roof quickly and took a few seconds to think, he had needed some fresh air from those halls. Ideas were sprouting in his mind, so much to do, so many people to meet, there were hundreds more unique people that had strength near equal to his own. This was much better than lazing around in his cabin. He smiled and looked up at the sky. He raised a fist and punched at the open air in triumph, standing and protruding his chest forwards.

"Time for some fun."

* * *

 **HAH, so, the first chapter after a rather long time, how did you like it? These next few I am going to have some fun with before plot kicks into high gear. Shoutout to my man for making sure that it had a final polish.**

 **Remember I will answer all and any question to the best of my ability, if you like my writing let me know so I write faster, XD, and if you see something wrong tell me so I can make my writing better! Also, I am considering naming the chapters so that they are more uniqe, tell me if you want to see that change happen, kek.**

 **I am still not setting a very specific schedule for myself but in general, I am going to try to make the chapters quite a bit longer than they used to be. (and don't expect a chapter to come out this quickly, I just had time :3)**

 **Thanks for reading!**

 **\- Adam the Wack**


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